Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Harriet Solloway is asking Ottawa for $14 million more as complaints and investigations strain her office.
Canada’s public-sector integrity commissioner is seeking an additional $14 million from the federal government, warning that a sharp rise in complaints has left her office with hundreds of submissions still waiting to be reviewed.
Harriet Solloway, who heads the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, says the money is needed on top of the office’s current $8.2-million budget to keep the federal whistleblowing and integrity system operating under a growing workload.
“Every single penny that I’m asking for can be justified by the workload that we currently have, and that we anticipate having,” Solloway told CBC Radio’s As It Happens.
The office investigates disclosures of possible wrongdoing in the federal public sector, as well as complaints of reprisal. Most complaints come from public servants, though members of the public may also submit information. The commissioner reports directly to Parliament and the mandate covers most federal public-sector organizations, including Crown corporations.
Solloway said the office now has about 300 submissions that have not been reviewed, in addition to roughly 73 active investigations. Some of the unreviewed submissions are more than a year old, she said.
The scale of the increase is significant. In 2021, Solloway said, the office received 192 submissions and completed 157. In the 2025-26 fiscal year, it received 680 and completed 558.
She described the rise as a “very steep, progressive climb” over the past two to three years, but said it does not necessarily mean wrongdoing in government is increasing. Her view is that more public servants and members of the public are learning that the office exists.
Before the backlog grew, Solloway said, her office could review disclosures of alleged wrongdoing within 90 days. Now, she said, some people who have submitted concerns have not yet had their files assessed to determine whether they fall within the office’s mandate. A notice on the office’s website is also advising potential tipsters to expect delays.
The request comes as the federal public service faces cuts. In a statement to CBC, Mohammad Kamal, communications director for the Office of the President of the Treasury Board, did not say whether the government would approve Solloway’s request. He said the government recognizes the office’s role and “will continue supporting its work.”
Kamal said the office’s budget has risen in recent estimates, from about $6 million in 2024-25 to $7.9 million for 2025-26 and just over $8 million for 2026-27. He also said agents of Parliament, including the integrity commissioner, were excluded from recent spending review exercises to protect their independence.
Solloway said the pressure will continue to grow without new money. If the funding does not come through, she said, she will ask again.
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