Government Operations committee  I would agree with you.

Government Operations committee  I was just going to say that I'm in full agreement. The heart and soul of a whistle-blowing regime is the reprisal regime, the reprisal protection. Certainly, we want people to come forward with wrongdoing and we—as I did in the last two weeks—published two case reports of wrong-founded wrongdoing, which got significant discussion and coverage.

Government Operations committee  You'll note that I have made a proposal to not only provide increased amounts for initial legal advice, but also to give the tribunal the express capacity to award legal fees, which it needs and it doesn't have. I would say the heart of my recommendations are those that focus on the reprisal regime, from reverse onus through to legal fees through to interim remedies, which I think is an extraordinarily important proposal on our part.

Government Operations committee  I think that the way Madame Therrien came forward did not limit her options. It was the processes that respond to those options, if I can be that unclear.

Government Operations committee  We make every effort in our initial case analysis process to have conversations with people who come forward about their options, so that they're making informed decisions. This is very important to us at our intake and case analysis level. I would also make the point that when our office was created, we were put in an already very crowded landscape, and we are operating in that crowded landscape.

Government Operations committee  We have non-governmental organizations that I know whistle-blowers go to for information as well.

Government Operations committee  The legislation does not purport to provide a private-sector whistle-blowing regime. It does extend in certain cases to the private sector, yes.

Government Operations committee  I can say that I know federal unions are very active in supporting their members, some more than others, but I think it's an opportunity for unions. I can point to the Association of Canadian Financial Officers, ACFO, who I think are exemplary in the way they deal with educating and supporting their members with respect to our regime.

Government Operations committee  Again, I might make the distinction between advice and information. Certainly, as we know from section 4 of our act, Treasury Board has the statutory duty to create that environment within which whistle-blowing can occur and to disseminate information, so there's one important possibility that's already addressed in the act.

Government Operations committee  On the issue of the tribunal, it's wonderful that we have an adjudicative body to deal with something as important as reprisal. However, from my perspective, and it goes to my reverse onus provision, how do we simplify the front-end process, which is my office, so that people have easier access or even direct access to the tribunal?

Government Operations committee  —because we have wonderful people at the tribunal waiting for a file.

Government Operations committee  As an independent agent of Parliament, I don't share any responsibility with anybody else. I have sat as an outsider, for example, on the previous procurement ombudsman's initiative to do an internal audit. If someone calls us or makes a disclosure that we feel is properly, or more properly, dealt with by the procurement ombudsman, we would advise that person in writing of our decision to not do something; or we'll do it.

Government Operations committee  We have the ability to contract out, and I'll be very frank that our experience—

Government Operations committee  I'd be happy to share the job description with the committee, if you'd like to see it. All our investigators are required to come to us with significant and recent experience in administrative investigation. As of Monday of next week, I believe we will have eight, or possibly nine, investigators on board.

Government Operations committee  Sure. They come to us trained and we try to keep training. For example, two days ago in our office, we had all-day training on difficult conversations and dealing with difficult people.