EPC endorses whistleblower-protection motion

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This article was published 04/02/2015 (3874 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard is making a mark at city hall.

Allard’s proposal for enhanced whistleblower protection at city hall was endorsed unanimously Wednesday morning by Mayor Bowman and members of his executive policy committee.

“I think this is something Winnipeggers are looking for,” Bowman said during the meeting.

Allard said existing protocols to encourage civic employees to report suspected cases of fraud or improper behavior are weak and needed to be improved.

“I brought forward this issue as another concrete accountability issue,” Allard explained to the EPC members, adding civic officials had made little effort in the past to promote the city’s fraud hotline.

“The (existing) protections for whistleblowers are very weak. It’s human resource policy that says individuals ‘should not’ lose their jobs (if they come forward with allegations),” Allard said, adding civic employees need stronger assurances they will not be targeted for retribution.

Allard proposed the City of Winnipeg Charter be amended to incorporate whistleblower protection for employees, similar to that given to provincial employees.

Allard had brought his proposal to council last week but it was referred to Wednesday’s EPC meeting for consideration.

The city’s own whistleblower policy was first adopted in 2006 and it has operated a fraud hotline for employees for two years but only did so in secret, with the result that it only received 16 complaints.

“That proves it’s not working,” Allard told the Free Press earlier. “Other communities with fraud hotlines get a lot more complaints. Our employees don’t feel safe coming forward with this kind of information.”

Allard said he was pleased with EPC’s support, adding public accountability is something that needs a major upgrade at city hall.

“It shows to me that my council colleagues recognize the urgency to deal with this issue,” Allard said.

This is the second motion Allard has brought forward since being elected in October to deal with the public’s perception about city hall. Earlier, he called for an annual public performance review of the chief administrative officer to be conducted by an independent firm, with findings shared with council and the public.

After he brought that idea to executive policy committee, it was revealed that none of the city’s senior administrators is subject to an annual performance review.

Allard’s proposal was referred to the search committee in charge of a finding a new CAO, with the expectation it will be included in the contract with the individual chosen for that position.

 

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca