Marianne Ryan recommended as Alberta’s ninth Ombudsman and second Public Interest Commissioner

A search committee of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has recommended the appointment of Marianne Ryan as Alberta’s ninth Ombudsman and second Public Interest Commissioner. Through a long and distinguished 35-year career in policing, Ryan most recently served as the Commanding Officer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta, and was one of the…

Investigation into allegations against the Department of Justice & Solicitor General concludes

The Public Interest Commissioner has concluded an investigation into allegations against the Department of Justice and Solicitor General. It was alleged the department interfered with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in a manner which contravened the Fatality Inquiries Act and the department grossly mismanaged the procurement for services to transport deceased persons.  It…

Commissioner staff to host information session for Government of Alberta employees

Edmonton – Staff from the Public Interest Commissioner’s office will host informal information sessions for Government of Alberta employees.  Employees will learn about the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act, how the complaints process works, and how they are protected when they report wrongdoing.  Employees will also have an opportunity to meet with the Commissioner’s staff.…

Commissioner staff to host educational sessions in Camrose and Drumheller

Edmonton – Staff from the Public Interest Commissioner’s office will visit Camrose on April 6th and Drumheller on April 7th to host educational sessions, in conjunction with the office of the Alberta Ombudsman. “A significant focus of the awareness campaign we launched in 2013 is hosting educational sessions for public servants,” says Peter Hourihan, Alberta’s…

Records Management Investigation Reveals Lack of Effective Control, Accountability

The investigation into Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource regarding the alleged improper destruction of records in the wake of the 2015 provincial election resulted in troubling findings for the overall management of records. A joint investigation was launched by the Information and Privacy Commissioner and Public Interest Commissioner on May 13, 2015 during the transition…

Procurement process investigation wraps up

On July 17, 2015, the Commissioner provided a report to the Chief Officers of Advanced Education and Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures into allegations the procurement process used by the public entities had been manipulated. The Commissioner found wrongdoing existed. The Commissioner made five recommendations and three observations. The Chief Officers, in their written responses…