Forty-four employees of Service Canada, the agency responsible for distributing CERB, were fired for taking advantage of the federal government’s emergency benefits.
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An internal note, obtained from our Bureau of Investigation with the Law on access to information, states that employees have been fired for violating the integrity principles of the department’s code of conduct.
“All employees who have filed fraudulent claims for CERB [Prestation canadienne d’urgence] are required to reimburse the full amount distributed by the Government of Canada and may be affected, up to and including termination of employment with the ESDC [Emploi et Développement social Canada] “, We can read.
It also indicates that 44 employees have seen the termination of their employment relationship.
The ESDC, which oversees Service Canada, acknowledges that dozens of employees have been sanctioned after receiving the CERB.
“The 44 employees whose trust status has been revoked are all employees who have enjoyed the benefits of CERB,” said Maja Stefanovska, ESDC Media Relations.
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Service Canada was responsible for managing the CERB program during the first months of the pandemic in 2020.
“It puts irony in the system. It means that we no longer trust or feel that institutions are wasting our money, “says Michel Séguin, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal and an expert in ethics and governance.
“It is a lack of credibility, adds Guy Bernier, the holder of the presidency of the Cooperation. It is very important that all employees have integrity. And integrity is being consistent with what the organization stands for. ”
For example, the researcher points out that the government requires citizens to be transparent when it comes to taxation or in their tax returns.
“It is a fatal mistake. The government cannot afford to have employees who do not respect the same principles of integrity that it requires of its citizens,” explained Séguin.
In an e-mail exchange, Ms Stefanovska replied that the ministry maintains “strict security practices, including taking proactive measures against the risks that ministry employees may pose”.
The government introduced the CERB program in spring 2020 to help Canadians who had lost their jobs or had reduced working hours.
– With Philippe Langlois
THE CERB IS …
- $ 79.3 G expenses
- 8 830 000 service providers
- $ 7,940 paid on average to Quebecs
► Our Bureau of Investigation revealed in October 2020 the modus operandi of the PCU scammers who had caused numerous victims using their personal data.
