Absence of Bills C-290 and C-65 Leaves Whistleblowers Unprotected, Risks Foreign Interference
January 15th, 2025
Justice For All Canada is concerned by the failure to advance critical legislation that would strengthen protections for whistleblowers and counter foreign interference in Canada’s democratic institutions. Bills C-290 and C-65 both addressed these urgent priorities. Following the prorogation of Parliament, they now face uncertainty, including undoing years of progress.
According to a 2021 report by the International Bar Association, Canada’s whistleblower protections rank among the weakest in industrialized nations. Bill C-290 sought to reform this system, enabling public servants to safely expose corruption, systemic abuse, or misconduct. Bill C-65 aimed to enhance electoral fairness and prevent foreign interference, protecting the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and ensuring equal participation for all citizens. This bill was also necessary to counter credible reports of states targeting diaspora communities, manipulating ethnic media, and influencing Canadian politicians.
Foreign Interference remains a growing threat in Canada, as detailed by the Foreign Interference Commission (FIC). Both bills were critical to advancing transparency, accountability, and human rights. Justice For All Canada’s advocacy has consistently highlighted the detrimental impact of foreign interference on minority communities, including covert efforts by states like India and Israel to influence Canadian policy. These governments also use disinformation and intimidation to silence critics and manipulate public opinion. Through our standing in the FIC, we have highlighted the targeting of Canadian minority communities by foreign states. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar demonstrates one extreme danger posed by these activities.
Recently, experts emphasized that stalling or losing such legislation poses a significant threat to Canada’s sovereignty and democratic integrity. James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression, highlighted that Canada’s lack of whistleblower protections harms public interest by leaving civil servants unable to safely report corruption or misconduct. This lack of protections serves the interests of governments by shielding wrongdoing from scrutiny, while the public suffers from the loss of transparency and accountability. Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, criticized the government’s failure to prioritize these reforms, urging cross-party cooperation to enact these measures before a potential election.
Our Work on Foreign Interference
Justice for All Canada has been a leading voice in exposing foreign interference and its consequences, particularly for minority communities. Our advocacy work has included:
Justice For All Canada is concerned by the failure to advance critical legislation that would strengthen protections for whistleblowers and counter foreign interference in Canada’s democratic institutions. Bills C-290 and C-65 both addressed these urgent priorities. Following the prorogation of Parliament, they now face uncertainty, including undoing years of progress.
According to a 2021 report by the International Bar Association, Canada’s whistleblower protections rank among the weakest in industrialized nations. Bill C-290 sought to reform this system, enabling public servants to safely expose corruption, systemic abuse, or misconduct. Bill C-65 aimed to enhance electoral fairness and prevent foreign interference, protecting the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and ensuring equal participation for all citizens. This bill was also necessary to counter credible reports of states targeting diaspora communities, manipulating ethnic media, and influencing Canadian politicians.
Foreign Interference remains a growing threat in Canada, as detailed by the Foreign Interference Commission (FIC). Both bills were critical to advancing transparency, accountability, and human rights. Justice For All Canada’s advocacy has consistently highlighted the detrimental impact of foreign interference on minority communities, including covert efforts by states like India and Israel to influence Canadian policy. These governments also use disinformation and intimidation to silence critics and manipulate public opinion. Through our standing in the FIC, we have highlighted the targeting of Canadian minority communities by foreign states. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar demonstrates one extreme danger posed by these activities.
Recently, experts emphasized that stalling or losing such legislation poses a significant threat to Canada’s sovereignty and democratic integrity. James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression, highlighted that Canada’s lack of whistleblower protections harms public interest by leaving civil servants unable to safely report corruption or misconduct. This lack of protections serves the interests of governments by shielding wrongdoing from scrutiny, while the public suffers from the loss of transparency and accountability. Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, criticized the government’s failure to prioritize these reforms, urging cross-party cooperation to enact these measures before a potential election.
Our Work on Foreign Interference
Justice for All Canada has been a leading voice in exposing foreign interference and its consequences, particularly for minority communities. Our advocacy work has included:
- Announcing Justice For All Canada’s Foreign Interference Standing and Challenging BJP Meddling in Canadian Politics
- Canada Boldly Steps Forward with Bill C-70 Against Foreign Interference
- Safeguarding Canadian Democracy: Condemning Indian Foreign Interferences
- Israeli Foreign Interference Necessitates Investigation from Canada’s Government
- Urgent Call to Address Foreign Interference Exposed in NSICOP Report