Québec City, September 19, 2024 - In his 2023-2024 Annual Report, Ombudsperson Marc-André Dowd emphasizes the central role played by public services in the lives of citizens, be it for claims for compensation, declaring a birth or death, or finding a place in childcare, to name but a few. Public service clients should always be at the top of government priorities.
"Our investigations show that government departments and agencies sometimes put administrative issues ahead of their main missions to citizens. As a result, many people suffer long wait times, service disruptions and sometimes unjustified refusals. I’m aware of the challenges associated with labour shortages, but that shouldn’t be a pretext for repeated failings," said Mr. Dowd.
Putting citizens first? Or putting them on hold?
The Protecteur du citoyen's Annual Report describes a number of shortcomings by departments and agencies, particularly when citizens are systematically put on hold, whether by phone, in person, or while their file is being processed.
- Problems with phone access to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) are nothing new. Once again this year, many people turned to the Protecteur du citoyen because they could never reach the TAL by phone about such crucial issues as disputes between tenants and landlords.
- The processing of applications by the Directeur de l’état civil involves long delays that can be unreasonable for people who need official certificates (i.e. birth, death, marriage, civil union, divorce). These long waits can compromise other steps taken by citizens, for example, with the Curateur public or Retraite Québec.
- The Direction générale de l'indemnisation des victimes d'actes criminels (DGIVAC) can compensate people who have suffered the after-effects of a crime. The Protecteur du citoyen found that victims sometimes had to wait two years before receiving financial assistance. Its intervention prompted the DGIVAC to reduce its wait times.
- In 2022-2023, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) implemented the new SAAQclic platform during a tumultuous transition. In 2023-2024, the acute phase subsided, but problems persisted, such as driving licence suspensions for no reason and amounts mistakenly deducted from people's bank accounts. Some people tried in vain to contact the SAAQ by phone to have their situation corrected.
First progress report on the Viens Commission
In 2023, in its first follow-up report on the calls for action issued by the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec (Viens Commission), the Protecteur du citoyen noted some public service progress. However, progress remains sorely insufficient. These are the findings of its first follow-up report.
In 2019, the Viens Commission recommended to government authorities that the Protecteur du citoyen follow up on the Commission’s calls for action until they are fully implemented. The Protecteur du citoyen notes that many priorities remain unresolved, including:
- Developing a project to enshrine the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Québec's legislative framework as a joint project with First Nations and Inuit representatives;
- Protecting the safety of Indigenous women;
- Abolishing all discrimination against First Nations and Inuit in health and social services.
"Overall, our analysis of the issues highlights the need to coordinate public body initiatives more effectively in order to better home in on the services that correspond to First Nations and Inuit realities," explained Marc-André Dowd.
Some public service figures
In 2023-2024, the Protecteur du citoyen handled 5,953 grounds for complaints concerning government departments and agencies. On average, the proportion of grounds deemed substantiated concerning the public service sector, including correctional services, is approximately one in three (i.e. 31.7% for complaints about agencies and 34.2% for those about departments). This proportion rises to more than half for complaints concerning the Tribunal administratif du logement (60.5%) and those about the Highway Safety Code involving the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (57.4%).
The Protecteur du citoyen acts impartially and independently to ensure that people's rights are respected in their dealings with public services. Its services are free and user-friendly.
To find out everything about the Protecteur du citoyen's 2023-2024 Annual Report, visit the Annual Reports section of our website.
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Information:
Carole-Anne Huot, person in charge of media relations
Phone: (418) 646-7143/Cell: (418) 925-7994
Email: medias@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
