Jul 7, 2015

Manitoba Ombudsman Charlene Paquin has determined that, pursuant to section 15 of The Ombudsman Act, her office will investigate whether the processes undertaken by the Manitoba civil service, related to the funding and procurement of flood fighting equipment between July 2014 and January 2015, were consistent with relevant requirements set out in legislation and policy.

“While the impetus for this review stems from a previous disclosure under The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act, certain issues that continue to be raised do constitute matters of administration within my jurisdiction under The Ombudsman Act,” said Paquin. “While we have limitations on what we can investigate, I believe that given the administrative matters involved and the ongoing public interest in the issue, there is value in conducting an investigation to ensure appropriate processes were followed. It is my intention through this investigation to bring clarity to the process and offer recommended improvements, if appropriate, that could help avoid similar concerns in the future.”

Manitoba Ombudsman promotes fairness and administrative accountability through the independent, objective and non-partisan investigation of complaints under The Ombudsman Act. The ombudsman’s authority to conduct investigations into any decision or action relating to a matter of administration in or by any department or agency of the government is set out in section 15 of the act, and all investigations are conducted in confidence.