Whistleblowing Canada Issues Report Calling for Federal Oversight of CBSA and Whistleblower Protection Reforms

The report highlights a clear pathway to improving workplace culture, transparency and accountability in CBSA and public administration in general.

OTTAWA, ON, CANADA, November 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Whistleblowing Canada Research Society recently released a new report examining gaps in Canada’s public sector oversight frameworks and recommending key public-policy reforms to strengthen accountability and whistleblower protections. The Whistleblower Analysis Report highlights two primary areas of concern within the federal legislative framework:

• Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) Oversight: Parliament passed legislation in 2024 to establish the Public Complaints and Review Commission, designed as an independent oversight body covering both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Nearly two years after passage, the law has not yet been proclaimed into force, leaving the CBSA without an independent review framework for systemic issues.

• Whistleblower Protection Gaps: The report details ongoing challenges under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA). Under current statutory mechanisms, federal public servants doing their duty to report wrongdoing face significant procedural hurdles when seeking independent adjudication of reprisal complaints.

“Ensuring effective oversight mechanisms and robust protections for public servants who raise concerns is essential to maintaining public trust in federal institutions,” said Pamela Forward, President of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society. “However, decades of research tells us laws alone are not the answer as they will not be properly upheld without supportive, visible leadership and a safe, welcoming, speak-up culture” Forward concluded.

Recommendations

To address the identified gaps, the report outlines specific policy recommendations for the federal government:

• Proclaim the Public Complaints and Review Commission Act
• Conduct an Independent Review of CBSA Resource Misuse and Security-Related Allegations
• Strengthen Whistleblower Protections
• Review Mr. Sabourin’s Pension and Medical Retirement Circumstances
• Improve Public Awareness and Transparency
• Further Research and Document Review

Context and Background

The publication of the report follows in the wake of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Democracy Watch v. Canada (Attorney General), 2026 SCC 28 (July 30, 2026), in which the Court considered statutory provisions limiting judicial review of tribunal rulings. The Supreme Court’s Conclusion declared in part “Parliament and the legislatures are not constitutionally competent to shield administrative exercises of delegated power from judicial review for legality on any ground.”

According to data cited in a March 2026 submission to the UN Human Rights Committee by the International Justice and Human Rights Clinic at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law, 651 federal reprisal complaints were filed under the PSDPA between 2007 and January 2026. Of those complaints, 11 were permitted to advance to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal, two received decisions on the merits, and none resulted in a ruling in favor of the reporting public servant.

The full Whistleblower Analysis Report is available upon request.

Media Contact

Pamela Forward, President
Whistleblowing Canada Research Society
Tel: 613-805-8266
Email: pamela@whistleblowingcanada.com
Website: www.whistleblowingcanada.com

About Whistleblowing Canada Research Society

Founded in 2019 and based in Ottawa, Whistleblowing Canada Research Society is a non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing education and research on creating safe, speak up workplace cultures through better understanding the whistleblowing phenomenon and informing public policy development.

Notes to Editors

• Supreme Court Citation: Democracy Watch v. Canada (Attorney General), 2026 SCC 28 (decided July 30, 2026). The Court ruled unanimously regarding the unconstitutionality of statutory privative clauses restricting judicial review of tribunal decisions.

• Data Sources: PSDPA filing metrics are sourced from the March 2026 joint submission to the UN Human Rights Committee by the UBC Allard School of Law International Justice and Human Rights Clinic and endorsed by Whistleblowing Canada Research Society. Global ranking metrics reflect a 2021 study by the Government Accountability Project and the International Bar Association evaluating international whistleblower protection frameworks.

Pamela Forward
Whistleblowing Canada
+1 613-805-8266
pamela@whistleblowingcanada.com
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