B.C.'s whistleblower law ‘falling short,' ombudsperson says
The four reports released by BC Ombudsperson Jay Chalke say that while the law has 'worked well in many aspects,' some public sectors and their employees are still not covered by the legislation.
The reports also find that many public sector employees are not aware of the legal protection afforded to them by law, and staff responsible for receiving complaints and disclosures are often not adequately trained on their responsibilities.
2:14
BC Conservatives slam investigation into safe supply whistleblower
The Public Interest Disclosure Act was introduced in 2019 and is currently under provincial review to see if it is working as intended to protect workers who report serious wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.
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Chalke says in a statement that the law has created 'safe reporting and meaningful investigations' despite its shortcomings.
He also says that his office is recommending 39 amendments to the legislation to improve its effectiveness, such as extending protection to 500 additional public bodies, including local governments and professional regulatory groups.
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National Observer
5 hours ago
- National Observer
Federal retrofit loan program is set to dry up by year's end unless Carney steps in
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'The disruption of a program like this is very hurtful and very unproductive,' said Brendan Haley, policy director with Efficiency Canada and adjunct research professor at Carleton University. 'It kills businesses, because businesses have a whole plan around this loan even being available.' In a letter sent to Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson last week, Efficiency Canada and 80 other organizations and businesses urged the government to provide more funding for the program in the upcoming federal budget due this fall. The groups are also calling for a four-year extension to the program, with an additional $4.3 billion set aside for loans. The call comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney's government plans steep budget cuts across departments, but Haley says funding the loan program aligns with Carney's priorities. Because they are loans and not grants, the value of the program is booked as an asset on government balance sheets. The Liberal election platform promised to fund home retrofits and lower utility bills by making it easier for households to switch to heat pumps and other energy efficient upgrades. The platform said eligible costs could include insulation upgrades, window replacements and heat pump installations. Pressure is on the federal government to refill dwindling coffers — that could run dry this year — of its loan program to help Canadians improve energy efficiency in their homes. Carney may have had a reputation for knowing the climate change file well before becoming prime minister, but his early days saw the repeal of the consumer carbon price and the rushing through Parliament of his major projects legislation, which would let megaprojects sidestep environmental rules. He's also under tremendous pressure from the Conservatives and auto industry to repeal the electric vehicles sales mandate and strike a grand bargain with the fossil fuel sector that could see production increase. All eyes are on the fall budget to see how his stated climate priorities hold. 'The continuation of this Greener Homes Loan program is certainly going to be a good test case,' Haley said. 'There were quite clear promises made in both the Liberal platform and Mark Carney's leadership campaign that are extremely consistent with continuing this specific loan program and improving it.' Renée Proctor, press secretary for Robertson, said the minister welcomes feedback and has seen the letter from Efficiency Canada. 'At this point in time, we're not going to speculate on policy or funding decisions given that the process for Budget 2025 is underway,' she said. The Greener Homes Loan program is part of a government retrofitting initiative that previously also included grants. However, the grant portion was abruptly cancelled last year citing 'higher-than-expected uptake.' 'The speed at which Canadians are applying and getting approved for Greener Homes Grants has also been significantly faster than NRCan's initial expectations and has skyrocketed since the fall,' the department said in February 2024, citing $5.1 million grants issued each day. A report from Green Communities Canada found that for Canada to reach its net-zero target, close to 500,000 retrofits are needed each year. Drew Tozer, a partner with Foundry Heat Pumps, a heat pump installation company in the Greater Toronto Area, said if the loan program is disrupted, it would be part of a boom-and-bust cycle for efficiency programs that does more than short-term damage. 'Contractors who made the strongest commitment to participate in the program get hurt the most when it ends,' he said. 'Short-cycling through programs erodes the trust and willingness of contractors to participate in future programs. 'That matters, because the rate at which [we] electrify homes largely depends on the level of buy-in or resistance from contractors.' According to Efficiency Canada, there are two main drawbacks with the existing loan program that should be addressed to maximize impact. First, up-front costs for retrofits are high and homeowners need to pay for the upgrades up front unless the contractor is willing to take on the risk of completing the work while waiting for the loan to be issued. 'The typical reason to take out a loan is to eliminate up-front costs,' the advocacy group says. 'The current system acts more like an incentive paid back, rather than a loan that enables people unable to pay full costs to afford retrofits.' Second, most home heating and cooling systems are replaced after an unexpected breakdown, such as a furnace going out in the dead of winter. 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Ottawa Citizen
6 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Pierre Poilievre, while re-elected, is damaged goods
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The Province
14 hours ago
- The Province
B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs
Government has withheld report and can only point to two of 300 recommendations that have been acted upon Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox. PNG The B.C. Conservatives have demanded the NDP government provide a 'clear' status update on a four-year-old review that urged changes to the province's expensive rare-disease drug system. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors They have also called for the public release of the review and timelines for implementing its recommendations. The review — which was not made public — was obtained by Postmedia independently after the B.C. government refused to provide a copy. 'The leak of this four-year-old review is frustrating — but it confirms exactly what we've been saying since February,' said Brennan Day, the Conservative critic for rural and seniors' health. 'Families like Charleigh Pollock's were left in the dark, forced to fight for life-changing treatments while bureaucrats sat on recommendations that could have prevented this. Transparency is not a website. It's real oversight, real engagement, and a system that works for patients — not just for the bureaucracy,' said Day, who is the MLA for Courtenay-Comox. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne have called for an overhaul of the expensive drug treatment for rare diseases approval process after their government faced public backlash for discontinuing the $800,000-a-year drug treatment for 10-year-old Pollock, who has an incurable degenerative disease. When the government reversed their decision last month — against the advice of its own 58-member advisory committee — Eby said it was obvious the system was not working. But the B.C. government had already received recommendations in 2021 for better transparency, clearer communication and stronger decision-making when it comes to funding and treating rare diseases with expensive drugs. These are the same areas that Eby and Osborne said need to be addressed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The review noted there was 'urgency' to making changes because spending on expensive rare-disease drugs was expected to grow significantly, to an estimated $600 million annually by the end of the decade. Day said the NDP government should release the full 2021 review with a status update on what has and hasn't been implemented. He also called for a public timeline to fully implement the outstanding recommendations, prioritizing oversight, transparency and patient engagement. Day also said that families need to be included in conversations and decisions that directly affect access to their expensive rare-disease drug treatments. Few of the 2021 review's recommendations have been implemented, according to those familiar with the report. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The B.C. Ministry of Health has told Postmedia the 'majority' of the report's recommendations have been implemented or 'are part of ongoing work.' However, officials pointed only to only two that have been completed out of more than 300 recommendations: an expensive drug for rare disease web page it said supports transparency; and the establishment of an appeal process. The recommendations on transparency in the report — there are 39 mentions — go well beyond a website. They also involve increasing oversight, setting standards, establishing public engagement and a major communication plan. ghoekstra@ Read More Vancouver Canucks World Local News Crime Crime
