Québec City, March 23, 2023 – On the occasion of Whistleblower Awareness Day, March 24, 2023, the members of the Public Integrity Partners Forum (the Forum) want to remind us of how important rigour and confidentiality are in handling information from whistleblowers.
"Whistleblowers can trust that we’ll handle their disclosures seriously while ensuring their right to anonymity. As public partners, we’ve set up robust mechanisms so that disclosures are taken in charge by the most appropriate organization and the one best equipped to do so," said Forum President and Québec Ombudsman, Me Marc-André Dowd.
Themed Strengthening public organization integrity—In it together, the half-day of conferences organized by the Forum is aimed at demonstrating how disclosures are dealt with on the ground by the partner organizations. The goal is also to let people know that there is protection for those who disclose wrongdoings to a Forum member.
The role of whistleblowers and the protection offered them
This half-day of conferences in hybrid form will be presented to various municipal and provincial organizations in order to promote the importance of the role of whistleblowers and the protection they are provided. Mr. Sylvain Lévesque, the Second Vice-President of the National Assembly, will open the event, followed by Québec Ombudsman Me Marc-André Dowd.
A talk on Québec’s public integrity tools will be given by Me Martine Valois, a law faculty professor at the Université de Montréal who specializes in administrative law.
A panel on the real-life experiences of public integrity investigators will provide whistleblowers with insight into the steps after a disclosure is made. The panel members are Mr. Mario Vézina, who coordinates the Autorité des marchés publics section that audits and investigates public tendering, Mr. Pierre Caire, who heads the validation team of the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit’s information section, and Ms. Josianne Dumais, senior investigator of the Québec Ombudsman’s branch that investigates public integrity disclosures.
Lastly, legal experts will weigh in on anonymous real-life cases in explaining legal protection and its limits for witnesses and whistleblowers in Québec. The event will bring together Me Naomi Gunst, a Commission municipale du Québec attorney, Me Philippe Levasseur, the director of the Autorité des marchés publics’ legal department, Me Lorencita Pinto Borrego, an attorney with the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit, and Me Caroline Moulin, an attorney with the Québec Ombudsman.
For the schedule and to register, consult the program for the event.
Making disclosure easier
Whistleblower Awareness Day is an opportunity to remind anyone who has or thinks they have witnessed public wrongdoing that they can contact the proper authority. When in doubt, they can contact the Québec Ombudsman, which will refer them to the right organization.
The Forum would also like to remind public institutions that they must do everything in their power to protect the identity of those who make such disclosures or who cooperate in audits or investigations stemming from disclosures. They must also ensure that whistleblowers do not become victims of reprisal.
For greater integrity within public bodies
In Québec, several organizations guard against and monitor public wrongdoing according to their respective areas of jurisdiction. The Appendix describes the members of the Public Integrity Partners Forum, supporters of Whistleblower Awareness Day 2023.
Public Integrity Partners Forum
Spearheaded by the Québec Ombudsman, the Public Integrity Partners Forum harmonizes and coordinates activities to ensure public sector integrity, including those stemming from disclosures by whistleblowers. The members are the Autorité des marchés publics, the Office of the Inspector General of Ville de Montréal, the Commissaire à l’éthique et à la déontologie, the Commission municipale du Québec, Élections Québec, Lobbyisme Québec, the Québec Ombudsman, and the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit.
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Isabelle Rivoal
Person in charge of media relations and Spokesperson
Commission municipale du Québec
T: (418) 691-2014, ext. 83997
isabelle.rivoal@cmq.gouv.qc.ca
Carole-Anne Huot
Person in charge of media relations
Québec Ombudsman
T: (418) 925-7994
medias@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
Michel Forget
Deputy Inspector General
Office of the Inspector General of Ville de Montréal
P: (514) 984-8272
mforget@bigmtl.ca
Mathieu Galarneau
Spokesperson
Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit
T: (514) 228-3098, ext. 12345
media@upac.gouv.qc.ca
Anne-Sophie St-Gelais
Adviser - Communications and Institutional Relations
Commissaire à l’éthique et à la déontologie
T: (418) 643-1277
anne-sophie.st-gelaisnash@ced-qc.ca
Stéphane Hawey
Communications Adviser
Autorité des marchés publics
T: (418) 803-1065
medias@amp.quebec
Marie-Noëlle Saint-Pierre
Communications Adviser
Person in charge of Training and Media Relations
Lobbyisme Québec
T: 1-866-281-4615
mnsaintpierre@lobbyisme.quebec
APPENDIX – MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTEGRITY PARTNERS FORUM
Public contracts
Autorité des marchés publics (AMP)
The AMP’s mission is to oversee all public contracts, in particular compliance with the tendering and contract award process and to receive complaints from interested persons. Anyone may also confidentially communicate information concerning contracts when the public body concerned appears not to comply or not to have complied with the contractual rules in force. Call 1-888-772-7443 or go to amp.quebec.
Office of the Inspector General of Ville de Montréal (BIG)
The mandate of the Office of the Inspector General of Ville de Montréal is to oversee the contracting process and the execution of contracts by Ville de Montréal or any legal person related to it. The Inspector General must take all necessary measures to protect the identity of persons who have communicated information to her. Penal provisions protect a person who has communicated information to the Inspector General against reprisal. See bigmtl.ca.
Anti-corruption
Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC)
The Anti-Corruption Commissioner is a specialized government-mandated law enforcement unit tasked to prevent and fight corruption in the public sector. It does this by leading and coordinating the government-appointed investigation and audit teams that form the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit. See upac.gouv.qc.ca.
Integrity of Québec’s public bodies (government departments, agencies and government corporations, health network, education system)
Québec Ombudsman
The Québec Ombudsman is an impartial and independent ombudsman tasked to ensure that the rights of citizens are upheld in their dealings with public services. The Québec Ombudsman handles disclosures of wrongdoings relating to public services and reprisal complaints arising from disclosures. It can be contacted by phone at 1-800-463-5070, or at protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca.
Lobbying
Lobbyisme Québec
Through its action, Lobbyisme Québec implements the healthy practice of lobbying activities and the public’s right to know who is seeking to exercise influence with parliamentary, government or municipal institutions. lobbyisme.quebec
Municipalities and probity of municipal elected officials
Commission municipale du Québec
As an independent organization in the municipal arena, the Commission municipale du Québec contributes to improving municipal governance and management, as well as public trust in municipal institutions.
The Commission is the one-stop gateway for handling disclosures and municipal integrity investigations. The Commission deals with disclosures concerning municipalities and ethical breaches by elected municipal officials. For more information, see cmq.gouv.qc.ca.
Québec Ombudsman
The Québec Ombudsman also oversees the integrity of municipalities and municipal bodies in certain specific cases, in particular concerning laws of general application or situations related to provincial government departments. Since October 19, 2018, municipal bodies have been defined as public bodies and are therefore subject to the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies. Phone 1-800-463-5070 or go to protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca.
Ethics and professional conduct of provincial elected officials
Commissaire à l’éthique et à la déontologie
The Commissaire à l’éthique et à la déontologie is an independent authority responsible for enforcing and applying the ethical principles and rules guiding the conduct of the Members of the Québec National Assembly and their staff. The Commissaire is available to answer people’s questions and listen to their concerns in strictest confidence. See ced-qc.ca.
Integrity of the electoral system
Élections Québec
Élections Québec is neutral and independent. Its mission is to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections and to promote Québec's democratic values. In addition to ensuring that provincial elections run smoothly, it also oversees application of political financing rules, monitors electoral spending, and is the public plaintiff in ensuring compliance with Québec’s electoral rules. See electionsquebec.qc.ca.
