Harper and public sector integrity

Christiane Ouimet, Canada's Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, has taken early retirement. Not a moment too soon, apparently: Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General, is in the midst of an investigation of her office.

Ouimet's job was to protect public service whistleblowers, and investigate complaints of wrongdoing. But she found no evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever in any of the 170 complaints her office handled since Stephen Harper appointed her in 2007. It was all "nothing to see here, move along" from the get-go.

Guess who one of the complainants was? Sean Bruyea. Name ring a bell?

Ouimet was also, it seems, a rare pleasure to work for. In one twelve-month period, 18 of her office's 22 employees left.

Maybe she'll find a new gig at Rights and Democracy. She should fit right in.