The B.C. government has expanded the province’s whistleblower protection law to a number of Crown corporations, boards and government agencies that were previously excluded.
The change, effective Dec. 1, was announced a week after The Tyee reported that several former BC Housing employees had concerns former CEO Shayne Ramsay had broken a conflict of interest protocol by discussing funding and projects related to a non-profit organization headed by his spouse, Janice Abbott.
The employees spoke to The Tyee anonymously because they continue to fear professional repercussions.
Ramsay resigned in August, saying increasing violence in the Downtown Eastside and hostility to social housing projects convinced him it was time to step down.
The acting CEO of BC Housing, Vincent Tong, sent an email to all employees at the Crown corporation on the change in legislation. In the email obtained by the Tyee, Tong writes that BC Housing has created a whistleblower policy and procedure, which all staff will be trained on in the new year.
B.C.’s whistleblower protections have been extended to a total of 39 government organizations, including BC Hydro, ICBC, Community Living British Columbia and BC Transit. A full list can be found here.
The province’s Provincial Interest Disclosure Act was passed in 2018, and was...
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