The U.S. contractor laws are tied to federal funding, but they're the most significant aspect of public policy benefits from whistle-blower protection.
I'll give the example of fraud. In 1986 we deputized whistle-blowers to file lawsuits against fraud in government contracts. Before that, the justice department in our country, acting alone, would average about $10 million a year in civil fraud recoveries. Since then, the average has gone up to $1.5 billion. In the last five years, it's been over $3 billion here. One case brought in $5 billion.
Fraud in government contracts is the magnet for corruption globally, and it's the most significant of benefits from a whistle-blower law.
I don't have the expertise to answer the distinction between federal contractors and provincial contractors, but a beachhead with federal contractors will get very significant benefits.