Two civil servants are suing the federal government for $33 million.

The two Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) employees were in charge of monitoring expenses of foreign offices and embassies and found that many were engaged in wasteful and profligate spending.

Instead of being rewarded for their investigative prowess, they were harassed and intimidated. Apparent-ly this persecution by senior management lasted for years, which points to a fundamental problem within the public service.

If conscientious public servants wish to blow the whistle on corruption, waste or gross mismanagement, they have no protection when they come forward with evidence. They literally put their jobs on the line.

They are torn between their oath of confidentiality on the one hand, and their responsibility to 'serve the public interest' on the other. And secrecy wins out over accountability, with public servants being punished for shedding light on waste and mismanagement.

Well-crafted whistle-blowing legislation could rectify this problem. Sadly, the President of the Treasury Board, Minister Marcel Massé (who is also a former senior bureaucrat) sees no need for such legislation.

Last summer we explored several landmark cases that clearly demonstrate the need for an office or independent ombudsman to protect whistle-blowers. Massé's office arrogantly responded to our work with a quasi-form letter defending the status quo.

"Sanctions and legislation are already in place covering inappropriate actions," wrote Massé. "The government is striving to ensure that these policies are appropriately applied across the Public Service. The mechanisms described protect those employees who report mismanagement and there is no requirement for additional legislation."

Excuse me! No requirement Obviously Mr. Massé has read too many of his own speeches and hasn't looked at the facts.

Fact #1: Chapter 1 of the Auditor General's (AG) 1995 Report dealt with ethics and fraud awareness. The AG noted that a variety of acts compel public servants to come forward with evidence of fraud or mismanagement, but the main reason people may not come forward is due to a "fear of reprisal." The AG also recommended that "whistle-blowing legislation" could be one mechanism to address this fear.

Fact #2: Scandals at Revenue Canada, the never ending horror stories out of DND, and the tragedy of muzzling scientists at Fisheries and Oceans are just a few examples of the problems that still exist in our public service. News organizations or interest groups broke all these stories after receiving the proverbial "brown envelope". These envelopes continue to be passed to outsiders because public servants will not report waste or fraud internally for fear of persecution.

Fact #3: A $33 million lawsuit is before the courts and the plaintiffs -- if they win their case -- will use the proceeds to aid other public servants in similar positions of peril.

Come to think of it, the huge award could be paid out of the salaries and pensions of Mr. Massé and his cabinet colleagues. Hitting Massé in his wallet might change his tune since he seems impervious to the facts, logic or common sense.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and several public sector unions (yes, we're on the same side of this issue) continue to press the government to act. Now it's your turn to contact the Minister: Hon. Marcel Massé, Room 314, West Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6. Phone: 613-952-5555. Fax: 613-992-6474. Email: [email protected].