Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  We have never concluded that there was bad faith.

Government Operations committee  That's right.

Government Operations committee  I think one of the challenges is to ask whether we want every public servant to be thinking about reprisal and blowing the whistle every day of the week, or whether, to use the fire station analogy, they know that if something happens, there's a process they can go to that will support them, and they know exactly where it is.

Government Operations committee  I think it could also be the fact that the kinds of cases we're getting now are more focused on the actual understanding of what wrongdoing is. For example, in the first couple of years we were getting an enormous number of staffing complaints that were really the purview of the Public Service Commission.

Government Operations committee  —that actually deal with wrongdoing as defined under our act.

Government Operations committee  I think one of the key reasons for this is awareness of our office. I have to say that it still surprises me, when I'm doing a public speaking event or I'm at a meeting or other event of some kind, that people are still surprised to learn that there is a federal public sector whistle-blowing regime.

Government Operations committee  There's an ongoing awareness, if I can put it that way.

Government Operations committee  If I may respond—

Government Operations committee  The link is vital. Under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, reprisals…

Government Operations committee  One of the strengths of the Canadian system is that those options exist. The choice lies with the whistleblowers. It depends on each person's level of trust. The goal is to make sure that each potential whistleblower has all the information needed to make a completely informed decision.

Government Operations committee  The whistleblower can choose the internal route or the external route.

Government Operations committee  None. All disclosures, just to explain the process—

Government Operations committee  Do you mean the increase in investigations?

Government Operations committee  I would like to think that it demonstrates good leadership on the commissioner's part.