Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Webcasts
  • Data Privacy
  • Français
  • my CNW 
    • Login
    • Register
  • Client Login 
    • Online Member Centre
    • Next Gen Communications Cloud
    • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Sign Up
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
Advanced Search
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • All Public Company
      • News Releases Overview

      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
      • Multimedia Gallery Overview

      • Trending Topics

      • All Trending Topics
  • Business
      • Auto & Transportation

      • All Automotive & Transportation
      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • Auto & Transportation Overview

      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • All Business Technology
      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • Business Technology Overview

      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • All Financial Services & Investing
      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • Financial Services & Investing Overview

      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • All General Business
      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • General Business Overview

      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • All Consumer Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • Consumer Technology Overview

      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • All Energy
      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • Energy & Natural Resources Overview

      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • All Environ­ment
      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • Environ­ment Overview

      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing Overview

      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • All Telecomm­unications
      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • Telecomm­unications Overview

      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • All Consumer Products & Retail
      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • Consumer Products & Retail Overview

      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • All Health
      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • Health Overview

      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • All Sports
      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • Sports Overview

      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • All Travel
      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • Travel Overview

      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • All Policy & Public Interest
      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Canadian Federal Government
      • Canadian Municipal Government
      • Canadian Provincial Government
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • Policy & Public Interest Overview

      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • All People & Culture
      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • People & Culture Overview

      • View All People & Culture

  • Advanced Search
  • Overview
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Monitoring
  • Distribution
  • Multimedia
  • Guaranteed Paid Placement
  • AI Tools
  • IR
  • Become a Client
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • General Enquiries
  • Media
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision Canada
  • Send a Release
  • FR
    • Phone

    • 877-269-7890 from 8 AM - 10 PM ET

    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Cision

      877-269-7890
      from 8 AM - 10 PM ET

  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Webcasts
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Trending Topics
  • Business
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
    • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Webcasts
  • GDPR
  • Overview
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Monitoring
  • Distribution
  • Multimedia
  • Guaranteed Paid Placement
  • AI Tools
  • IR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Webcasts
  • GDPR
  • Become a Client
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • General Enquiries
  • Media
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Webcasts
  • GDPR

News release no. 2 - 2014-2015 Annual Report of the Québec Ombudsman - Findings and recommendations concerning Government of Québec departments and agencies Français


News provided by

Protecteur du citoyen

Sep 17, 2015, 10:50 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

QUÉBEC CITY, Sept. 17, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Ombudsperson Raymonde Saint-Germain presented the findings and recommendations from the 2014-2015 Annual Report of the Québec Ombudsman. The most frequent grounds for substantiated complaints concerning departments and agencies were long wait times (29.9%), followed by failings with a financial impact, at 27.7% (up 12.3 percentage points from 2011-2012), and infringement of rights, at 18.1%.

Agence du revenu du Québec (Revenu Québec)

Revenu Québec has a mission that is important and legitimate: tax collection. However, its aims in that regard cannot be achieved by disdaining citizens' rights, procedural fairness and the principles of administrative justice. Despite this, complaints to the Québec Ombudsman showed that failings of this kind had occurred. For example, as part of a large-scale audit operation, Revenu Québec wrongly issued notices of assessment based on simple presumptions, without allowing the taxpayers concerned to make their arguments. It also maintained rigid legal interpretations in processing certain files. Further to action by the Québec Ombudsman, Revenu Québec agreed to review several decisions. In some cases, this intervention made it possible to rectify a collective wrong for a great many citizens and to keep disputes pitting Revenu Québec against taxpayers out of the courts.

Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances (CARRA)

When they retired or a few months afterwards, citizens learned that their pension had been reduced or that they would have to reimburse CARRA for amounts they had been overpaid because of a mistake it made when it processed their application. The Québec Ombudsman believes that CARRA can be held liable for its negligence if it is to blame for calculation mistakes that beneficiaries cannot be expected to notice. However, CARRA refused to see it this way and insisted that it did not have to compensate the beneficiaries.

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST)

The CSST can suspend or reduce payment of a worker's indemnity if the worker fails to comply with one of the obligations of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases without just cause. However, the Québec Ombudsman has noted that the CSST tends to levy this penalty rigidly, without always taking the worker's version into account. When the CSST does this, the financial security of the workers who have been penalized unjustly is directly affected. However, in a number of cases brought to the Québec Ombudsman's attention, the CSST mended its ways and, in the end, agreed to reconsider its position.

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) – Direction de l'indemnisation des victimes d'actes criminels (DIVAC)

Crime victims have been deprived of benefits provided for in the Crime Victims Compensation Act because of DIVAC's clumsy handling of their file. This is what happened in the case, one of many, of a victim who had suffered repeated sexual assaults since childhood. When she finally felt able to approach DIVAC, her application was rejected because she had not filed it within a year of the injury. As the Québec Ombudsman sees it, it was impossible for this person to do so sooner because of the situation she was in. The Québec Ombudsman deplores that DIVAC did not amend its decision. Thus, since it feels that the decision is unacceptable, it continues to lobby regarding this file.

Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

Further to complaints concerning private waterworks systems providing residential drinking water, the Québec Ombudsman conducted an investigation. What emerged was that the Department did not exercise its responsibilities regarding the monitoring of private waterworks' operating permits and fees. Another worrisome fact: private waterworks systems remain under boil-water and do-not-drink-water advisories for long periods (months, or even years). When this happens, Department employees have no guidelines that they can follow. The Department accepted the Québec Ombudsman's recommendations. It also committed to increase its monitoring and control of private waterworks systems and it produced an appropriate action plan.

Ministère de l'Éducation, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche

Concerned about the difficulties that children with a precarious immigration status have in accessing public education, the Québec Ombudsman addressed the issue in an investigation report released in November 2014. The Québec Ombudsman considers this lack of access a violation of the basic right to education of these children, which contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Government of Canada and to which Québec has declared itself bound. The inclusion of children with a precarious immigration status in the free public education system must be viewed as an issue separate from legitimate action to monitor immigration. The Department accepted all of the Québec Ombudsman's recommendations and promised to implement them and committed to a timeline for carrying them out.

Ministère de la Famille

Even though home childcare coordinating offices are 100% government-funded and play a leading role in the establishment and operation of the childcare resources they are tasked to supervise, they do not have government agency status. As a result, these offices are not subject to the Act respecting administrative justice and the obligations stemming from it. This means that a candidate whose application for recognition as a home childcare provider is turned down by a coordinating office has no recourse against this decision. In the opinion of the Québec Ombudsman, coordinating offices should be governed by the same prescriptions as those for government agencies, and it recommended as much to the Department. It in turn committed to begin work in 2015-2016 to implement this recommendation.

Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Diversité et de l'Inclusion

This year, the number of complaints regarding the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Diversité et de l'Inclusion nearly doubled compared to last year. Most involve the adverse effects of changes in the way of validating document conformity in applications for the Québec selection certificate.  The Department's recent practices have been such that highly qualified people were likely to be disqualified because of a procedural detail, without their file being assessed, and after having paid examination fees and having waited several years for the file to be processed. The Québec Ombudsman noted that further to the action it took, candidates were provided with a review mechanism for applications for the Québec selection certificate. The Department also made improvements to document requirement information to candidates so as to reduce the number of applications rejected due to noncompliant documents.

Ministère de la Sécurité publique

The Code of Ethics of Québec Police Officers provides that police officers must always have identification on their person when they interact directly with civilians. However, there is no regulation or act that defines the nature of this identification. Consequently, it happens all too often that police officers involved in breaches cannot be identified, leading to closure of the complaint file by the Police Ethics Commissioner after a preliminary examination. The Québec Ombudsman approached the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to recommend that the kind of identification police officers must wear in interacting with civilians be specified. The Department concurred.

Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

The Department is not allowed to recover amounts owed by a recipient who is contesting a claim before the Tribunal administratif du Québec (TAQ). This year, on several occasions, the Québec Ombudsman saw that the Department had withheld amounts from recipients' last resort assistance even though their cases were before the Tribunal. In addition, recipients filed complaints about the Department's lack of compliance with TAQ decisions which resulted in their assistance being cancelled despite an order proscribing cancellation. In these situations, the Department recognized that it had made a mistake and acted on the Québec Ombudsman's recommendations.

Office de la protection du consommateur

Municipalities that offer sports activities enjoy an exemption under the Consumer Protection Act.  However, it often happens that municipalities delegate responsibility for sports activities to non-profit organizations. In such cases, the Office considers these organizations as merchants within the meaning of the Consumer Protection Act. As a result, if a person asks to be reimbursed mid-season, the Office considers that the organization must issue refunds for the cost of the unprovided services even if this contradicts the refund policy given out to its clients. Such a practice may endanger the very existence of the organizations concerned. The Québec Ombudsman considers that the exception that the Act recognizes for municipalities should be accorded to these organizations, as if the cities provided the sports activities themselves. The Québec Ombudsman recommended that the Office review its interpretation of the Act. Concerned about this situation, the Office set about conducting an analysis of the issue and pledged to inform the Québec Ombudsman about the outcome. 

Société de l'assurance automobile (SAAQ) – highway safety code

When a health professional sends SAAQ a declaration of incapacity because he or she believes that a person is no longer fit to drive, the agency may immediately place any restrictions it deems necessary on the person's driver's licence. In emergency situations, it informs the person immediately by phone. However, if the situation is less urgent, the restriction is immediately entered in the person's driving record and the person is informed by mail. This means that between the time the letter is mailed and the time the drivers get the letter, they are unaware that there is a restriction on their licence. If they drive during that period, they unknowingly violate the Highway Safety Code. Here, SAAQ infringes a principle of the Act respecting administrative justice, namely, the obligation to give notice to a person before rendering an unfavourable decision concerning him or her. Further to the Québec Ombudsman intervening, SAAQ reviewed this practice.

Société de l'assurance automobile (SAAQ) – compensation

In matters of adapting vehicles, a directive provides that highway accident victims who owned a vehicle at the time of the accident can be reimbursed for the optional equipment they need (for example, automatic transmission) because of their impairment. However, the situation is different if they did not own a vehicle when the accident occurred and they are left with impairments that limit access to a vehicle or to using one. If they buy a vehicle after their accident, the SAAQ does not reimburse them for the cost of the optional equipment. Given the rehabilitative purpose of the Automobile Insurance Act, and in light of Tribunal administratif du Québec case law, the Québec Ombudsman considers that the distinction made by SAAQ between these two categories of accident victims is inappropriate. SAAQ committed to changing the directive as it applies to reimbursement for the cost of automatic transmission. However, unless there are exceptional circumstances, the same problem exists when it comes to other optional equipment that is common and necessary. This is why the Québec Ombudsman is continuing to act on this front.

See the 2014-2015 Annual Report of the Québec Ombudsman.

SOURCE Protecteur du citoyen

and requests for interviews: Carole-Anne Huot (418) 646-7143/(418) 925-7994 [email protected]; Joanne Trudel (418) 644-0510/(418) 580-9259 [email protected]; www.protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca

Modal title

Organization Profile

Protecteur du citoyen

    Also from this source

  • Special report on the Directeur de l'état civil - The Protecteur du citoyen recommends sustainable measures to ensure acceptable waiting times for death certificates

  • The Protecteur du citoyen introduces measures to better protect whistleblowers in Québec public services

  • Follow-up on the Viens Commission's recommendations - The Protecteur du citoyen announces a report on youth protection in Indigenous communities

Contact Cision

  • 866-245-2317
    from 8 AM - 10 PM ET
  • Become a Client
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • General Enquiries
  • Media

Products

  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Media Monitoring
  • Content Distribution
  • Multimedia Distribution
  • Measurement & Analytics
  • Investor Relations

About

  • About Cision Canada
  • About Cision
  • Media Partners
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United States
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Centre
  • Next Gen Communications Cloud
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • my CNW

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Centre
  • Next Gen Communications Cloud
  • Cision Communications Cloud
  • my CNW
877-269-7890
from 8 AM - 10 PM ET
  • Terms of Use
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • Cookie Settings
  • Accessibility Statement
Copyright © 2025 CNW Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. A Cision company.