Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair, committee members, I am very pleased to be here with you today to talk about my candidacy for the position of Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. It was a real privilege and a great honour to be considered for this position. So I would like to talk about my career and also share my general perspective on the duties of this important position for the public service and the government, and also, I think, for all Canadians.
By way of introduction, let me tell you a bit about myself. I come from the small village of St-Albert, Ontario, where I was born on a dairy farm to Madeleine Laflèche and the late Albert Ouimet.
I finished my primary education at the local school and then went on to le village voisin at Casselman High School. I subsequently completed my honours degree in French literature at the University of Ottawa. I then completed two Bachelors of Law, one in civil law and one in common law. I articled at a local firm with a focus on general practice. Of course, I then did my bar exams.
My husband and I have been married for 26 years, and we have two wonderful daughters.
I joined the federal public service in 1982 as a recruit of the then Atomic Energy Control Board, which is now known as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. It was a regulatory and public consultation function that I was responsible for as a junior officer. This was also my first introduction to the importance of a sound regulatory framework for the benefit of the public and the industry alike.
I then moved on as chair of the Public Service Commission Appeal Board, where I conducted inquiries into the appointment and release of public servants. This involved a quasi-judicial role in ensuring that the merit principle was adhered to when an appointment was made and that employees who were demoted or released from positions had been given a fair chance to be heard. In all cases, of course, natural justice had to be respected.
A new tribunal now embodies those same principles and responsibilities today. Sound, fair, transparent, and meritorious staffing processes are the foundation of a public service that is able to provide the best services to Canadians.
After a short term heading the regulatory affairs directorate at Revenue Canada Customs, I became the first director of the merged enforcement operations section, which included commercial fraud investigations and the drug interdiction program. Because of the rigour of the processes and the diligence of officers, we had an excellent record of prosecuting cases.
In 1992, I joined the machinery of government secretariat at the Privy Council Office. I had the privilege of serving three previous prime ministers and providing advice on the economic portfolio in the context of transitions and government restructuring. Providing guidance on the roles and accountability of senior public office-holders was also part of our ongoing responsibilities. In that context, I learned about the functioning of the government and the importance of independent advice from the public service to ensure continuity and good government.
I later served in the Department of the Solicitor General of Canada for five years, where I eventually became Assistant Deputy Solicitor General, with direct responsibility for the aboriginal policing program. I will forever treasure the honorary title that the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association awarded me, as Honorary First Nations Chief of Police.
At the end of 1999, I became CEO of Consulting and Audit Canada at Public Works and Government Services Canada. On a cost recovery basis, we offered a full range of services aimed at improving effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability.
I would come back a few years later as the associate deputy minister, and I was responsible for the restructuring of a department with more than 14,000 employees. I was very much involved in the department’s new values and ethics action plan in 2004, and I was also involved in resolving a variety of operational issues.
Prior to that, I served as executive director of the Immigration and Refugee Board, post September 11. During that period, a very successful alternative dispute resolution model was developed by our immigration division.
I know this is of interest to some of the committee members. I know that alternative dispute resolution is key for the sound operation of administrative tribunals, which are set up specifically to render justice more quickly and more simply than traditional courts in specialized fields.
Finally, I have a few comments about my current position as associate deputy minister at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. My role has been to support the deputy minister as he or she sees fit on a variety of issues. I've been involved more recently in corporate issues dealing with employee unions, grievances, diversity issues, and human resources strategies. I was also charged about a month ago by the new deputy minister with the role of champion for values and ethics.
One might say that I've had an eclectic career. But I think the common thread has been a desire to serve and to make a contribution in the public interest. I believe my legal background has served me well, especially in a quasi-judicial environment that is of course similar to the office of the Integrity Commissioner. I feel very privileged to be considered for the position of Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.
I have examined the new provisions of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act to assess the tasks that lie ahead. As I see it, the intent of these new provisions is to legislate a strong regime enshrined in legislation, as was important to members of this committee, to govern the disclosure of wrongdoing in the federal public service.
The key elements are, of course, the independent body that was created, the commissioner, reporting directly to Parliament with an expanded jurisdiction; the authority for the commissioner to report on investigation findings and make recommendations when wrongdoing is established and to make special reports to Parliament; and a clear prohibition against reprisal action against complainants.
There's added protection to potential complainants offered by the creation of a tribunal to which the commissioner can apply, and there are a number of other sets of legal provisions, such as legal assistance, protected disclosure. But I know the committee is well versed in the contents.
In due course, I would propose to examine carefully the relationships between the role of the commissioner and those of other oversight bodies and parliamentary agencies and even internal functions, but again, I'll be guided by the legislative framework in the act.
The position of Integrity Commissioner is one that carries with it the trust and confidence of Parliament. Simply put, the essential role of the commissioner and the office will be to give effect to an act whose purpose is to encourage employees of the public sector to come forward if they have reason to believe that serious wrongdoing has taken place and to provide protection to them against reprisal when they do so. The goal is a system that is fair, accessible, and allows justice to be served. More importantly, the goal is to protect the public interest.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege to serve Canadians in very different roles. I am honoured to be considered for the position of Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. I believe it is a role that will help to enhance the reputation of the public service, by providing transparency and openness for anyone who feels they have been wrongfully treated. I may come from humble beginnings, but where I come from, honesty and sincerity really matter. I am proud to remember that my father was always seen as a man of great integrity. That was his trademark, and he was renowned for it not only in our small community but in neighbouring villages as well.
I would serve as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner in his memory, and with great humility and pride, if your committee and Parliament entrust me with that honour.
Thank you.