For immediate release
March 29, 2007
Canada's New Government is delivering on its commitment to protect public servants and expand access to information
Ottawa - The Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, today announced the coming into force dates of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and the expansion of the Access to Information Act to additional Crown corporations. Minister
Toews also announced the release of the revised ethical guidelines for public-office holders, which include guidelines for political activities, and the pre-publishing of regulations on public opinion research in the Canada Gazette.
"In three short months, we have acted swiftly to implement the Federal Accountability Act," said Minister Toews.
"With today's announcements, we have put in place four more critical elements of the Act to strengthen accountability, make government more open, and change
the way government works."
The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, which protects public servants and Canadians who report wrongdoings in the federal government, comes into force on
April 15. This Act introducess specific penalties for offences, including tougher penalties for those who wilfully impede investigations of wrongdoing. The Act also creates an independent Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal and the position of an independent Public Sector Integrity
Commissioner.
"This legislation will help create an environment in which employees and all Canadians can honestly and openly report government wrongdoing without fear of reprisal," Minister Toews said on the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.
Coverage of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) will be expanded to all wholly owned subsidiaries of Crown corporations and to seven additional Crown corporations starting September 1. The seven Crown corporations are: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; VIA Rail Canada Inc; Atomic
Energy of Canada Limited; National Arts Centre; Public Sector Pension Investment Board; Export Development Canada, and Canada Post Corporation.
"The Federal Accountability Act is about making government more open and transparent. Providing Canadians with greater access to information. This is democracy at work," said Minister Toews on the expansion of the Access to Information Act.
Prime Minister Harper has issued a revised edition of Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Secretaries of State that includes ethical guidelines and guidelines for political activities of public office holders. This edition reflects the Government's Federal
Accountability Actionn Plan commitment to strengthen accountability for public office holders. This is the first time that political activity guidelines have been issued. Along with the ethical guidelines, they will ensure the public confidence in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of
government are conserved and enhanced.
Canada's New Government also announced the pre-publishing of regulations on public opinion research in the Canada Gazette on March 31. These regulations will prohibit verbal-only public opinion research reports and require departments to make them publicly available through Library and Archives
Canada.
These announcements are part of the implementation of the Federal Accountability Act, which received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006. Through the Federal Accountability Act and its accompanying Action Plan, Canada's New Government has brought forward specific measures to
strengthen accountability in government. More information on the Federal Accountability Act and Action Plan is available at
www.accountability.gc.ca.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Mike Storeshaw
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Treasury Board
(613) 957-2666
Robert Makichuk
Chief, Media Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
(613) 957-2391
If there is a discrepancy between any printed version and the
electronic version of this news release, the electronic version will prevail.
