Minister Blair responds to 2019 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada

OTTAWA – February 18, 2020 – Today, Sylvain Ricard, the Auditor General of Canada, tabled his 2019 Fall Report, Respect in the Workplace. The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, responded with the following statement:

“We thank the Auditor General for his report, Respect in the Workplace, which has raised important concerns around workplace harassment, discrimination, and violence at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

All Canadians deserve to feel safe at work, and that requires creating and maintaining the right conditions in the workplace. Achieving a safe and respectful workplace demands – among other things – constant dialogue, clear processes, regular monitoring, accountability, and a commitment to doing better.

The Auditor General’s report identifies several ways for the CBSA and the CSC to address current challenges so they can continue to build respectful workplaces and better serve their employees.

Both organizations have already taken action to address the issues outlined in the audit findings, and while I applaud the work that has already been undertaken, there is clearly more to do. I have asked both the CBSA and the CSC to provide me with regular updates on their progress towards implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations.

Our government is committed to ensuring all federal organizations have a zero tolerance policy for workplace harassment, discrimination, and violence – that includes having the right measures in place to prevent this kind of behaviour.

I thank the Auditor General for his work on these important issues. Having reviewed the recommendations, I will work with the CBSA and CSC unions and management as they implement changes and create workplaces where employees feel safe, heard, and respected.”

Related links:

• 2019 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada - Respect in the Workplace