Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Re-Introduces BPS Accountability, Transparency Legislation (Formerly Bill 179)
Date: July 8, 2014
On July 8, 2014, the Ontario government re-introduced broader public sector (“BPS”) accountability and transparency legislation. If passed, proposed measures in Bill 8, the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014, identified in the government’s press release would, among other matters:
- authorize the government to directly control compensation of senior executives in the BPS by establishing “sector-specific hard caps and enforcement measures to ensure compliance”;
- amend applicable privacy legislation to implement new records retention rules to securely preserve and prohibit “the wilful destruction of records,” and implement a fine of $5,000 to enforce same;
- expand the role of the Ontario Ombudsman to include municipalities, school boards and universities;
- amend the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007 to “give the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth ombudsman-like powers to investigate matters relating to children and youth who are involved with a children’s aid society”;
- appoint a “Patient Ombudsman” tasked with responding to patient complaints against public hospitals, long-term care homes and community care access centres; and
- expand the “scope of the Integrity Commissioner’s review of executive expenses to all 197 classified agencies and four hydro organizations.”
As previously reported, on March 24, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 179, the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014, proposed legislation intended to enhance oversight and increase transparency in the BPS. Background information on Bill 179 is available in our FTR Now of March 27, 2014, “Ontario Government Proposes New Public Sector Compensation Restraint Legislation.”
