Whistleblower protection | It’s time to abolish the code of silence in the health and social services system

March 28, 2024

Québec City – Concluding special consultations on Bill 53 on whistleblower protection, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) issued an important appeal to MNAs in a parliamentary committee, asking them to make changes to the bill in order to end the code of silence in health and social services.

“Bill 53 represents a long-awaited opportunity to end the culture of silence,” said Robert Comeau, APTS president. “It contains welcome advances, but the scope of the whistleblower law, which is too restrictive, needs to be expanded. In seven years, the APTS hasn’t once been able to use it to defend employees. That has to change!”

The APTS recommends amending article 5 of the whistleblower law to remove the exemption regarding disclosures that question the merit of government policy. This change will enable a broader application and offer the strong protections needed for health and social services employees.

“We can’t ignore the consequences of government policy on services to the most vulnerable people,” said Caroline Marquis, member of the APTS provincial executive committee. “Our members must be able to denounce unacceptable situations they witness without fear of losing their jobs or being subjected to threats or intimidation. Their first duty of loyalty must be toward Quebecers, not their managers.”

The APTS also calls for maintaining the publication of the number of disclosures received by each public body and giving the Québec Ombudsman more powers to ensure his recommendations result in concrete action.

“Whistleblower protection means protecting service users and the quality of services to the public,” said the APTS president. “It’s now or never if we want to improve the public health and social services system for all Quebecers. The government has to seize this opportunity to make Bill 53 a tool for real change. We can’t drop the ball.”

The APTS brief is available online (in French).

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.