The federal government is striking a task force to review whistleblower protections for federal civil servants, but an advocate for those very protections says he isn't happy with the move.
Treasury Board president Mona Fortier announced the review at the end of November, but James Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, says it actually shows a lack of dedication to protect workers who raise concerns.
"You would think I would be enthusiastic about it. But I'm really disturbed by what the government announced," he said.
"[It's] an indication that they have no serious commitment to reform of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act."
Five years ago, a statutory review heard from experts across the country and took "a good deal of time" to evaluate the act and make recommendations, Turk said.
Those recommendations were passed unanimously by the Parliamentary committee looking into the act but were never enacted.
Turk said that leaves him with little faith anything will come out of the new review.
"They had a scathing evaluation of the act and proposed a significant number of major changes that would make it be able to do what it's supposed to do," Turk said, adding many of those original proposals are still relevant today.
The new nine-member task force will begin work this month and take 12 to 18 months before producing a report.
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