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Funding to Meet Statutory Obligations and Avert the Collapse of the Whistleblower Regime

Letter from Commissioner Harriet Solloway to the Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board – January 15, 2026

 

Dear Minister:

Today I submitted to the Treasury Board Secretariat an urgent funding request.

During our meeting last October 29, it was heartening to hear that Canada’s government is committed to supporting the work of my Office, reinforcing the statement of the Clerk of the Privy Council that a culture of personal accountability in the public sector is a key priority. An effective whistleblower regime is critical to individual accountability and public trust in federal institutions.

The very raison d’être of my Office is to strengthen accountability across the public service, by ensuring that whistleblowers can report serious wrongdoing that could shake public confidence in federal institutions. Our legislated mandate relies on whistleblowers who rightfully believe that they have a responsibility to speak up.

As discussed during our meeting, and as I have highlighted to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, my Office is facing unprecedented numbers of allegations of wrongdoing and reprisal against whistleblowers. Resources have not kept pace, causing detrimental delays to investigations and creating a risk to our ability to carry out our legislated mandate. 

Timeliness of investigations is critical to the effectiveness of the regime. Delays in investigating can lead to the possible erosion of witnesses’ recollection and the potential loss of evidence. Delays allow wrongdoing and reprisals to continue unaddressed.

In the face of the current situation, I cannot guarantee that allegations of wrongdoing and reprisal will be investigated in a timely manner. This puts at risk confidence in the federal public sector and undercuts any potential deterrent to wrongdoing that would be characteristic of a strong and adequately resourced whistleblowing regime.

I do not make this request lightly. I have a duty of stewardship to raise the alarm and to submit a data-based request for the funds that we need. My request for financial support—to shore up the whistleblower and accountability regime and avert collapse—is based on current and projected caseloads and grounded in data-analytics. Predictive modelling establishes that my Office requires a one-time injection of $6.7 million and some $14.3 million in additional funding per year to deliver on our mandate. The funding will enable the Office to hire investigators, analysts and lawyers, and provide them with enabling resources including adequate facilities for confidential witness interviews.

It is my hope that I can count on your support for this funding request and its rapid transmission to the Treasury Board, as it represents a critically needed investment to ensure accountability and enhance Canadians’ confidence in the whole of the federal public sector.
Yours sincerely,

(Original signed by)

Harriet Solloway
Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada

CC:
Bill Matthews, Secretary of the Treasury Board
Jacqueline Bogden, Chief Human Resources Officer

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