What Is Wrongdoing?

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) defines wrongdoing as one or more of the following:

a) A contravention of any Act of Parliament or of the legislature of a province, or of any regulations made under any such Act, other than a contravention of section 19 of the PSDPA;

b) A misuse of public funds or a public asset;

c) A gross mismanagement in the public sector;

d) An act or omission that creates a substantial and specific danger to the life, health or safety of persons, or to the environment, other than a danger that is inherent in the performance of the duties or functions of a public servant;

e) A serious breach of a code of conduct established under section 5 or 6;

f) Knowingly directing or counselling a person to commit a wrongdoing set out in any of paragraphs a) to e).

The PSDPA is intended to address wrongdoing that could seriously impact the public’s confidence in the integrity of the public service. It is not intended to address matters of a personal nature, such as individual harassment complaints or individual workplace grievances. These matters should continue to be addressed through procedures available to deal with such concerns.