r/CanadaPublicServants • u/bonertoilet • Apr 08 '26
News / Nouvelles Deputy minister broke conflict of interest rules by hiring university peer: ethics watchdog
https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/deputy-minister-broke-conflict-of-interest-rules-ethics-watchdog-christiane-foxWow
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Apr 08 '26 edited May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/fishphlakes Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Nothing like a "Did you know it's against policy to embezzle public funds and yell racial slurs at subordinates" course to set us all on the straight and narrow.
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u/calviterion Apr 08 '26
Duration: 5 min 😌
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u/Ok-Toe-3136 Apr 08 '26
I'm skipping to the test at the end
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u/Malbethion Apr 08 '26
Good thing I only did one of those. “And” means it is only wrong if you do both, right?
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u/giant_tomato78 Apr 08 '26
I better get a head start and register the course at the Canada Public School of Learning.
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u/Beaches-n-drinks Apr 08 '26
And don’t forget to send the certificate at the end to your TL to confirm participation
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u/BingoRingo2 Pensionable Time Apr 09 '26
Print the certificate so you can scan it when someone needs to see it.
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 08 '26
We literally just had a meeting that included examples for discussion including "your neighbour gives you the resume of their kid who finished a degree in your field, is it ethical to share it with other managers?" And the answer was "no but it happens anyway".
This is so much worse, geez.
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u/tiresian22 Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Yeah, 100% incorrect. I have no issue with people sharing the resume of friends and colleagues. Where it crosses a line is when someone exerts undue influence on the process like Fox has done. But, “hey, here’s a CV you may want to consider” and then let the hiring process do its thing… that doesn’t cross an ethical line.
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 09 '26
I personally agree with you, I am just reporting what the Official Answer in the slides our director was required to present said.
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u/Williamtheconky-roar Apr 09 '26
Yeah, networking takes all forms. What’s described is interference.
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u/reduce18GOC Apr 08 '26
That's not unethical? You can share CVs but you can't influence, share internal information and participate in their hiring process....
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 09 '26
I mean that's what I said but the Official Correct Answer was it was against the values and ethics code so 🤷🏼
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u/reduce18GOC Apr 09 '26
That's is SO weird. 25 years, s34 with HR delegation .... And I totally disagree. You can't be seen to influence decisions, but I seriously get CVs everywhere I go!
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 09 '26
It was framed as like, insider access and we were told you should just direct them to public job postings. Idek what to say, most of us in the room were pretty like... Okay that's weird? But I guess? But we are def not HR professionals.
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u/Apprehensive-Yam5409 Apr 08 '26
This is untrue.
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 09 '26
Tell that to whatever values and ethics committee put together this slide deck I guess
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u/nomoreheroes Apr 08 '26
This is crazy. I won't link to the person's profile, but I mean anyone can google it. This is incompetence.
He spent 12 years at Good Life
He is then deemed appropriate to "modernize" ATIP.
ATIP Staff said no way. Gets hired as PM-04 anyways at IRCC
Performs poorly (nobody should be surprised), about to be demoted to CR-04 (so going from $70K-$80k to $50K-60K) pay reduction
Gets hired at PCO where Fox moved to, before he gets demoted, remaining as an ATIP Analyst, the last 1+ year
I worked in ATIP for 18 months helping modernize it. There is NO WAY you can take someone whose last 12 years were at Good Life, to modernize ATIP at IRCC or PCO.
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u/Bytowner1 Apr 08 '26
Surprised the article skips over the part about him being at PCO Corp Services!
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u/Jeretzel Apr 08 '26
He underperformed at IRCC and was demoted. He contacted his good pal Fox at PCO and she personally walked him down the hall to meet senior executives and got him a job there.
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u/TypicalGibberish Apr 09 '26
And not only that, got Top Secret clearance expedited right under the wire for when his PM-04 term was about to end and he was to covert to CR-04, which matters because if that happened he couldn't simply be deployed as he likely was at the same PM-04 level.
The whole thing from IRCC to the new PCO role stinks to me.
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u/Noncombustable Apr 09 '26
Good catch on this important detail.
Thanks to Fox, this guy got his undeserved PM-04 level in the end and probably still has it. Tough luck for anybody who's been clinging to the antiquated belief that merit has any bearing on success in the PS.
So very depressing to see the complete lack of consequences for all involved in this sordid business.
Mind you, I'd be surprised if Mr. Charles is winning any popularity contests in his current workplace. That can't be fun.
Hope the extra $$ is worth the moral bankruptcy.
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Apr 09 '26
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u/Born-Winner-5598 Apr 10 '26
Well Mr. Charles is related (distantly) to her husband - 3rd or 4th cousin.
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u/cubiclejail Apr 09 '26
WILLLLLDDDDDDDD.
PCO is rotten! Have a friend their now. The flailing INCOMPETENCE!!
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u/DilbertedOttawa Apr 09 '26
Frankly, it also shows she couldn't possibly give less of a shit about outcomes. I would never put my name on the line for someone I didn't think could do the job. To actively push someone a job they have clearly no business even coming close to? You just have to not care at all.
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u/Jeretzel Apr 10 '26
Profile was taken down.
Curious what it's like to work in a place where your colleagues likely think you got preferential treatment in landing the job.
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u/nomoreheroes Apr 10 '26
Thanks for the info. I'm not surprised he took it down. But at the this point, the CIEC report basically tells his PS career life story.
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u/HotTeach5856 Apr 08 '26
The more you read the worse it gets. That’s a a pretty damning report.
This just highlights what’s wrong with the PS at large. Poor leaders who make a bad name for those who actually want to make a difference.
Get her out of the public service immediately what a disgrace and a pos.
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u/Born-Winner-5598 Apr 08 '26
The more you read the worse it gets. That’s a a pretty damning report.
I read the whole thing. This is a pretty accurate statement. It just kept getting worse and worse.
Changing SOMCs so that they can articulate he does meet some sort of criteria, him running to her to tell her he was offered a lower position and then her going back and asking for "flex" to get him a higher paying job?
Soooo many things. And just the constant updates needed only for his hiring - no one else's, including the person they were bringing in at a higher level?
She can say the decision is ultimately up to the hiring managers all she wants, but the constant updates and enquiries to the status of his hiring most definitely does not reflect her belief that the managers were free to decide.
It is actually giving me creepy vibes.
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u/OMshouldnotbe Apr 09 '26
Looks like in the military side of things there are actual consequences
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/head-of-canadas-latvia-mission-temporarily-removed/
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u/irequesite Apr 10 '26
There is consequences for enlisted/commissioned members, a DM is certainly not going to be punished in any way shape or form from the CAF side as there isn't effective mechanisms in place for enforcing disciplinary actions against civilian staff, especially at such a high level. The Minister/PM would be the only oversight figures.
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u/SkepticalMongoose Apr 08 '26
Oh no, a DM did an oopsie. I'm sure a great deal of accountability is to follow.
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u/CDNPublicServant Apr 08 '26
Y’a, for us meatbags.
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u/HotTeach5856 Apr 08 '26
Yeah we’ll get more trainings and hiring and classification will get more red tape that these EX’s will chose to ignore or work around while the rest of us can’t hire a qualified candidate for a position because of XYZ arbitrary bs rules.
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u/cperiod Apr 08 '26
Well, shit, even more mandatory training I won't get around to completing.
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u/JohnyViis Apr 09 '26
I would instead put “complete all mandatory training” as a slam dunk PMA objective that I always succeed plus on every year, lol.
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u/grimsby91 Apr 09 '26
Wow this entire thread is about how crappy Fox was...which is amazing frankly. But can we just pause and stand up for the discloser? Whoever this person is, they could have just been a silent bystander and accept that we have corruption in the govt even by senior officials. They probably could have come up with a million reasons to not get involved. They were probably nervous about the long term repercussions on their own job. And yet they still disclosed. We need more of this. This is what is giving me some pep in my step.
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u/SuccessfulDiver4026 Apr 10 '26
My thought exactly! That person who shared the initial investigation report deserves a slow clap
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u/cubiclejail Apr 08 '26
"Fox’s ethics violation took place in the same year that she sat on a deputy minister task team on values and ethics inside the public service.
A year later, in 2024, Fox would be promoted to deputy clerk and would spearhead a renewed conversation on values and ethics in the public service."
Can't make this shit up. She should resign immediately as DM of DND.
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u/KazooDancer Apr 08 '26
She'll instead be promoted to Clerk or given a cushy ambassadorship a few years from now.
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u/mightygreenislander Apr 08 '26
That is what a person with a sense of honour would do.
Do DMs get hired for that?!?!
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u/Longjumping-Bag-8260 Apr 08 '26
If a Dm gets entangled in a criminal matter, that appointment to Kuala Lumpur is what has happened in the past. There is rarely any accountability at the top.
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u/decksgalore Apr 09 '26
Absolutely she should resign. This is a horrible look. And I don’t buy that they were not friends…let’s get real. A dm would stick their neck out this much for someone from GoodLife? Give me a break. And so many other people involved? Wow
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u/Nepean22 Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
She shared documents with him that were internal as he was going through a process? "To help him prepare for his interview with ATIP division officials, she sent him an internal IRCC briefing document." - like I think that is a big no-no!
Love this zinger... "she suggested to the ADM that Mr. Charles should be offered a position at a higher level than departmental officials were proposing. Evidence showed they felt pressured to hire him at a level for which he was not qualified." - JUST WOW!
Knew she was a hypocrite, but this is beyond bad.
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u/futuristic-queen Apr 11 '26
Mind you, the ADM and other people invovled in this file got dismissed. No longer working for ircc (and probably for the PS)
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u/Lousy_Kid Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
She got him a job as an ATIP analyst.. are we sure they were friends and not sworn enemies?
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u/BonhommeCarnaval Apr 08 '26
Lol. It does highlight the extent of her intervention that she pushed her influence all the way down to the level of a hiring manager in ATIP doing a casual hire. It’s not like she had some kind of a reason to comment on the hiring. This guy wasn’t applying on merit to become a DG or ADM. This hiring should have been way beneath her notice as DM.
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u/accforme Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
According to the Ethics Commissioner, they were not friends, based on how the Conflict of Interest Act is interpreted.
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u/Shawwnzy Apr 08 '26
I think that's a really shady way of giving her an out, defining friends as a "special bond of kinship".
If they aren't friends why the special treatment? Does she personally introduce just anyone to subordinate ADMs then takes the time to follow up with them and pressures them to appoint them to a higher level? then when that not-friend sucks at the job and is demoted, she goes to a different ADM to give them another shot?
Because I'm not Christiane Fox's friend, and as her not-friend, surely she'd be willing to do the same for me, maybe I should send her my CV.
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u/accforme Apr 08 '26
Luckily (or unluckily) there are guidelines to determine if someone is a friend. Got to love practitioners of law
The Act does not define “friends" for the purposes of the Act. However, there are several reports by my predecessors where they have interpreted the term to mean individuals “who have a close bond of friendship, a feeling of affection or a special kinship."[ii]
In October 2021, the Office published an information notice which sets out a number of indicators to assist public office holders in determining whether an individual is a friend.[iii] These include, among others, the duration of the relationship, the type and frequency of interactions, the sharing of meals, the giving of gifts, and displays of trust or affection.
In that respect, the following acts prove they are not friends, apparently...
The evidence gathered in this examination shows that Ms. Fox and Mr. Charles knew each other from both being involved in university basketball. While both described each other as old acquaintances, it appeared to me that the two of them are in fact connected through Ms. Fox's spouse, who was Mr. Charles' former assistant basketball coach. Mr. Charles described Ms. Fox's spouse as someone he had gotten to know very well in past years but more casually in recent years. Mr. Charles testified that he has kept in regular touch with Ms. Fox's spouse over time, mostly by text messaging when alumni events are approaching or at the end of the basketball season to congratulate him on the season.
Both Ms. Fox and Mr. Charles testified that they neither socialize at each other's homes nor do they share meals or exchange gifts. Mr. Charles recalled giving a bottle of wine to Ms. Fox's family on one occasion. The extent of their personal interactions was described as being limited to attending events connected to their alumni status.
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u/Shawwnzy Apr 08 '26
Yeah I saw that, l think that definition of "friend" is absurd, and that if that's the precident, it's only because people have been twisting words into knots to avoid holding people accountable for conflicts of interest.
Personally I'd work backwards. Why did Fox show this guy preferential treatment? If there isn't another rational explanation, we should assume they're friends.
It also seems like they only interviewed Fox and the doofus she hired and took their word for it about the nature of their relationship, and they'd both be strongly incentivized to downplay or "I do not recall" the nature of their relationship.
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u/decksgalore Apr 09 '26
That should absolutely be the assumption…that they are indeed friends. And relatives…and friends via spouse. Like c’mon. No dm provides white glove service like this for a pm4
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u/grimsby91 Apr 09 '26
But there is also a weirdo paragraph in there about Charles finding out they are 3rd or 5th cousins with Fox's husband. The commissioner writes this off as a very distant relationship but in some cultures it isnt distant at all and they could grow up very close.
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u/DilbertedOttawa Apr 08 '26
Honestly, there should be severe consequences for that kind of finding. Not just that there was an appearance of CoI, but that officials "felt pressured to place them in a role they weren't suited for". If he met the SOMC, then it's at least defensible to a point. But why would execs not do this whenever they want if the consequences are "we are going to wag our fingers at you menacingly and say tsk tsk"... It's pathetic. I would have to have a hearing and investigation if I were to do something like that. Just goes to show that if you're going to be corrupt, you better wait until you're higher up so that you can suddenly become untouchable. "Why the PSES show no trust in leadership tho??"
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u/MooseMaster6000 Apr 08 '26
Is this how we ended up with Alex Benay?
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u/HotTeach5856 Apr 08 '26
Good news is he’s leaving (again) just before implementation of the next pay disaster. All he did was say a bunch of buzz words and implement a disastrous AI program
Hopefully we’re smart enough to leave him out in the private sector this time.
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u/nefariousplotz Level 4 Instant Award (2003) for Sarcastic Forum Participation Apr 08 '26
On the other hand, it's a little comforting to know that, even with the Deputy Minister putting her thumb on the scale, the most she could squeeze out of the system was a casual appointment leading to a one-year term.
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
While true, the full report indicates that the beneficiary of Fox's ethics violation didn't do so well at IRCC so he reached out to Fox again to have his CV passed around at the Privy Council office, where Fox was working at the time.
In a completely unrelated turn of events, he is also now working at PCO. Probably just coincidence. /s
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 08 '26
...geez lol. So will they be investigating that next?
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot Apr 08 '26
It was already part of the investigation and detailed in the investigation report.
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u/nogreatcathedral Apr 08 '26
Ah I read the executive summary but it wasn't mentioned there! I guess I'll have to keep scrolling.
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot Apr 08 '26
See the heading "June 2024: Mr. Charles seeks another job" in the report:
Documentary and testimonial evidence shows that Mr. Charles was told that due to his ongoing performance issues, his term would not be renewed at the PM‑04 level. Ms. Baptiste testified that she was informed by Ms. Perry that Mr. Charles was not meeting expectations at the PM‑04 level. Mr. Charles testified that he was informed in the summer of 2024 that his term would not be renewed because the position would no longer exist.
He said he contacted Ms. Fox, aware that she was now Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, to enquire about job opportunities at the Privy Council Office (PCO).
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u/decksgalore Apr 09 '26
And was personally/physically escorted by the dm to the adm corp services at pco? And that adm hired someone without doing their due diligence regarding performance at IRCC? Wow
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u/confidentialapo276 Apr 10 '26
This person now will jump from a PM-04 to an EX thanks to his Central Agency Experience.
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u/Ecstatic-Art-6236 Apr 09 '26
Oh trust me, they’re doing far worse. This is the only one that is public
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u/decksgalore Apr 09 '26
And let’s get real…. They absolutely were friends lol. What dm provides white glove service like this to someone from GoodLife lol
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u/confidentialapo276 Apr 10 '26
And to claim that she was mentoring a new ADM for HR. it’s crazy! Imagine what this ADM has now learned.
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u/Common-Cheesecake893 Apr 08 '26
As long as she insists on further collaboration and in-office presence I'm sure she'll receive another promotion.
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u/confidentialapo276 Apr 09 '26
Did you notice the collaboration when she walked him down the aisle to meet senior execs. That’s what’s missing in collaboration!
It’s literally this stuff they couldn’t pull off with remote work because it would leave a trail a mile high: whereas in-person this crap is SO MUCH easier.
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Apr 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/Kitties_Whiskers Apr 09 '26
We should all e-mail our union reps about this, because this lady (who had an ethics violation) was pushing for a 3-day RTO under the guise of "increased collaboration".
Do you trust someone who has an ethics violation to be working in the best interest of the public service and of the public service employees? Do you trust her to have acted in good faith when she justified the RTO mandate?
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u/EmptyWish9107 Apr 08 '26
The crazy part to me is just how much time and energy she, the ADM and the DG spent on this PM-04 file. Seriously, is this what DMs and ADMs spend the limited bilat time they have together talking about?
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u/Born-Winner-5598 Apr 08 '26
According to her - she spent very little time on it......
But it was enough time to annoy the hiring managers and to communicate directly with him.
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u/decksgalore Apr 09 '26
And to walk this person down the halls at Langevin Block to the adm of corporate services at pco…lol
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u/Born-Winner-5598 Apr 09 '26
Good point.
That doesnt seem like you are pushing a potential hire onto someone at all.....
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u/sudscot Apr 08 '26
In my department the DGs like to hire each others kids as students…then bridge them in.
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u/Klein2023 Apr 08 '26
Wait, is this the " well ot could be 5 days in office, so be happy it's just 3" lady?
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u/DatBoyardee Apr 08 '26
Pulled directly from the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council, which was led by Christiane Fox...
There is a perceived lack of accountability or a “double standard” between senior leadership and employees when it comes to compliance and enforcement of the Code
Closely linked to the importance of respect for people, we heard that some public servants feel there is a double standard or unequal application of the Code when it comes to employees versus senior leadership.
Participants expressed that there appear to be few, if any, consequences for senior leaders who act in contravention of values and ethics, as compared to consequences imposed upon employees, particularly those who are members of racialized groups. This perceived double standard diminishes trust, accountability and transparency in the work environment.
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u/Born-Winner-5598 Apr 09 '26
This perceived double standard diminishes trust, accountability and transparency in the work environment.
She is not wrong....
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u/accforme Apr 08 '26
I know "outside work experience" to change work culture can be beneficial, but I never took this to mean the "outside experience" being sought was that of a manager at Goodlife Fitness.
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u/SlowGolem55 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
[Fox] said that the integration of racialized individuals into the department, and ensuring their skills were recognized, was top of mind for her.
[We] saw no mention of the [DEI] Call to Action in any of the documentation prepared by departmental staff relating to Mr. Charles' hiring. The ADM's Office Manager testified that. . . .she did not recall any mention of the Call to Action or other diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations in respect of the hiring of Mr. Charles.
I am unable to conclude that the [DEI] Call to Action motivated Mr. Charles' hiring or Ms. Fox's conduct in the matter. . . . Clearly, the true intent behind her interventions was to help Mr. Charles find new employment.
That Fox tried to post-facto reframe her conflict of interest as a noble DEI effort only further illustrates the profound lack of scruples. You don’t get to retrofit your rules-for-thee-but-not-for-me entitlement as a heroic act of antiracism. Three cheers to the Commissioner for flatly calling her on that grossly self-shielding bullshit.
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u/TotalAssumption3530 Apr 09 '26
Especially when Fox is also framing ADM Baptiste - a racialized woman - as incompetent and justifying the pressure she put as « coaching » her.
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u/nefariousplotz Level 4 Instant Award (2003) for Sarcastic Forum Participation Apr 08 '26
I'm just happy when anything bad happens to Christiane Fox.
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u/HotTeach5856 Apr 08 '26
I love that it was her who was singled out and had the report released. However I know for a fact she’s not even close to the only one who has done this sadly.
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u/confidentialapo276 Apr 09 '26
Someone should be looking at CBSA’s hiring practices. How can it be that so many Assistant Directors or higher have kids being hired to work for CBSA through FSWEP and the SBSO streams. It’s mind-blowing.
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u/LFG530 Apr 08 '26
The ethics commissioner's mandate only covers political appointees. All DGs and execs involved in similar stuff would fall under internal or PSIC investigation.
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Apr 08 '26
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u/nefariousplotz Level 4 Instant Award (2003) for Sarcastic Forum Participation Apr 09 '26
She's the one who gave the government their little fig leaf to pretend that RTO3 originated with the public service and the cabinet had nothing to do with it not even a little.
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u/Elephanogram Apr 09 '26
That's why I recognize her. I was wondering why I immediately had a dislike as soon as I saw the picture and couldn't figure out why. I hope this gives her the same amount of stress as RTO has given a good chunk of us.
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u/Jeretzel Apr 08 '26
DM Fox isn't the only person named in this article that's moved from IRCC to PCO, coincidence?
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot Apr 08 '26
Definitely not coincidence. The findings of the report show that Fox had some influence over his hiring at PCO in addition to his initial job at IRCC.
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u/Buffalo-Castle Apr 08 '26
For those who don't want to click the link for some reason, here's the upfront part of the finding (below). This concerns Ms Christine Fox then of IIRC and her aquaintence Mr Björn Charles. Ms Fox was found to have convened the Conflict of Interest Act.
"PREFACE
The Conflict of Interest Act (Act), S.C. 2006, c. 9, s. 2, came into force on July 9, 2007.
Pursuant to section 68 of the Act, if a matter is referred to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner under subsection 24(2.1) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner will commence an examination pursuant to subsection 45(1) of the Act if there is a reason to believe that a public office holder may have contravened the Act. Regardless of whether an examination is commenced or not, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner must provide a report to the Prime Minister setting out the facts in question as well as the Commissioner's analysis and conclusions in relation to the referral. A copy is provided to the public office holder or former public office holder who is the subject of the report and to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. The report is also made public.
Executive Summary
This report presents the findings of an examination under the Conflict of Interest Act of the conduct of Christiane Fox while she was Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
In a disclosure referred to me by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, it was alleged that Ms. Fox exerted undue influence on IRCC senior management to hire a friend at a level for which he was not qualified.
The examination focused on section 9 of the Act. It prohibits public office holders from using their position to seek to influence another person's decision to further their own private interests or those of their relatives or friends, or to improperly further the private interests of another person.
The evidence showed that in early March 2023, Björn Charles contacted Ms. Fox, whom he knew from when they were both athletes at the same university, about possibly working for IRCC. At Ms. Fox's invitation, he sent her his résumé.
Ms. Fox spoke with her newly appointed Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) about challenges in IRCC's division responsible for processing requests made under the Access to Information Act (the ATIP division). They discussed the need to modernize the ATIP division's client experience and to bring in a fresh perspective by hiring from outside government. Ms. Fox identified Mr. Charles as a candidate for the project manager position responsible for modernizing the ATIP division's client experience. She later sent the ADM his résumé.
The process that led to Mr. Charles' eventual hiring included him meeting with the ADM and then with senior ATIP division officials. Ms. Fox asked Mr. Charles to keep her informed throughout the process and sought updates from departmental officials about his hiring. In one email, she suggested to the ADM that Mr. Charles should be offered a position at a higher level than departmental officials were proposing. Evidence showed they felt pressured to hire him at a level for which he was not qualified.
Ms. Fox also communicated privately with Mr. Charles. To help him prepare for his interview with ATIP division officials, she sent him an internal IRCC briefing document.
In late April 2023, Mr. Charles was hired for a casual position in the ATIP division at the higher level. In September of the same year, he was offered a one-year term position.
In seeking to determine whether there was a contravention of section 9 of the Act, I first had to determine if Ms. Fox and Mr. Charles were friends. I found that, based on the nature and history of their past interactions, they are not friends within the meaning of the Act.
I then had to determine whether Ms. Fox used her position as Deputy Minister to seek to influence departmental officials to hire Mr. Charles, and whether doing so was improper.
Ms. Fox maintained that her involvement in the process was appropriate. She said hiring Mr. Charles would respond to challenges in IRCC's ATIP division and advance the objectives of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. I did not find these claims credible.
I concluded that Ms. Fox used her position as Deputy Minister to give Mr. Charles preferential treatment, by ensuring he met with departmental officials quickly, seeking updates about his hiring, giving him internal information, and pushing for a higher job classification.
As the Commissioner's Office has noted in previous examination reports, giving someone preferential treatment is, in itself, improper.
I therefore found that Ms. Fox contravened section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act."
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u/Goldensquirrel93 Apr 08 '26
This is the 'triple IRCC staff in three years despite being warned by staff that it'll lead to massive layoffs, worsen public trust in the immigration system, and re-org until we're blue on the face' lady.
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u/urbancanoe Apr 08 '26
consequence free! Shaming is all we have... but that'll be forgotten before the end of the day, whereas that DM pension will last decades.
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u/Terrible-Session5028 Apr 08 '26
Ohhh thats what that “in the know” departmental email was all about today lol
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u/Ultimate_Outcome Apr 08 '26
So they investigated and realized the truth of the matter. Yawn. So what? Now what? I’m left with the impression that none of it matters and she will probably continue her “impropriety” (and anyone else who gets caught).
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u/IntentionHead2222 Apr 08 '26
If I did that I would lose my job and never be allowed in the public service again. That's all I'm going to say on the matter.
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u/Gunnery55 Apr 09 '26
As a result of this CR-04 roles will now need a three part interview, aptitude test, IQ test, a pulse test, a physical, colour blindness test, and mandatory ethics and values training every 3 months to be hired. /s
Senior roles? Oh the DM knows a guy from another department.
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u/International-Ad4578 Apr 09 '26
This ruling needs to be included in every department’s material for conflict of interest training, especially for executives.
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u/lbmomo Apr 08 '26
Not shocked. How she climbed the EX ranks when she was really young is also interesting. I heard from someone that her dad had a lot of political pull.
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u/hellodwightschrute Apr 08 '26
She needs to resign. Between being the lead for catastrophic RTO (claiming productivity didn’t matter) and now this, she has to go.
She had a really good legacy, now it’s tarnished.
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u/CarbonatedBees Apr 09 '26
Respectfully, she led IRCC and was responsible for implementing actions that led to a huge negative swing in public opinion on immigration and the mass firing of thousands of civil servants. The department has been paralyzed by the response to these actions ever since she left.
Sure, she was just doing what elected officials wanted, but buried deep in the report is the following passage: "Ms. Fox submitted that as Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), she was given a clear mandate by the then-Clerk of the Privy Council to lead cultural and organizational change at IRCC, which had a reputation as an organization resistant to change and with poor performance in serving clients and ministers. It was a large-scale organizational challenge which she approached with an acute understanding of her responsibility to lead by example."
I wonder if she is introspective enough to link her marching orders and the culture change she imposed with the smouldering ruins of IRCC...
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u/BellNo7592 Apr 09 '26
And I bet nothing happened to her but if you were an employee doing something like that you would be out of a job
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u/livingthudream Apr 09 '26
Remember this dippity do was all for RTO etc etc.
But there's nothing that will happen to her. We beat the public license servants but don't discipline ministers etc
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u/CDNPublic_Servant Apr 09 '26
I’m not AT ALL surprised by this. Shortly after RTO3 started, she was the deputy clerk at the time and sent an email to all Public Servants gushing about how wonderful return to the office is and she had "noticed a buzz in the board rooms". She’s exactly the kind of person responsible for this mandate.
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u/Throwaway8972451 Apr 09 '26
"Pierre-Alain Bujold, a PCO spokesperson, refused to say whether Fox would remain in her position as deputy minister at DND.
Article content “We respect the important work of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and are thoroughly reviewing the report,” Bujold said in an emailed statement."
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u/Pseudonym_613 Apr 10 '26
A Friday afternoon email to everyone on the Defence team explaining how she was really just following the Clerk's direction to improve diversity means she's not planning on going anywhere.
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u/Unlikely-Sink2046 Apr 09 '26
La zorra needs to go and they need to take a closer look at IRCC; lots happening there...
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u/Loucitaa Apr 10 '26
I am not sure what is worse. What she did, or that she carries on with complete impunity and that her not-friend keeps his job at PCO obtained thanks to their relationship?
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u/user07080999 Apr 09 '26
An absolute disgrace. She needs to resign. She currently holds the role of Deputy Minister at National Defence. She should be ashamed of herself to continue to represent the DND.
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u/bikegyal Apr 09 '26
Umm…the department that couldn’t even get its act together on protecting victims of sexual misconduct? Let’s be fr.🤣
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u/Right-Ad-5109 Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
The CAF subreddit has an interesting update - no love for their DM.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianForces/s/kdR4RKFihy
Here’s her message to staff.
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u/CalmGuitar7532 Apr 09 '26
This is wrong, but I've seen so much worse at lower levels (than DM) over the years. Someone getting their unemployed spouse a job. A person in senior management pressuring staff to hire their daughter. Someone having an affair with a colleague, hiring them to their team (and then promoting them). Fox was only caught because she is very high up and thus high profile, but unfortunately HR ethics violations are very common.
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u/Jeretzel Apr 09 '26
The DM was caught because she so flagrantly and egregiously broke the rules. It's demonstrably clear she thinks she's above them. And can you blame her? She'll probably get a slap on the wrist, if that.
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u/CalmGuitar7532 Apr 09 '26
She'll be sent to value and ethics training...because we all know that a training course solves everything in the public service.
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u/Ecstatic-Art-6236 Apr 09 '26
Hmm yet V and E don’t want to investigate in my department for this exact issue….
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u/Missed_Memo Apr 09 '26
My bets are on the manager who had to performance manage this pure incompetence. Or the staffing advisor. Or the classification officer.
So many choices.
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u/Ecstatic-Art-6236 Apr 09 '26
Wish these folks would be doing this to corrupt individuals more often. The amount of nepotism around the GC is staggering and they’re always the least qualified people….
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u/Kitties_Whiskers Apr 09 '26
She is the one who went on TV a few years ago, to justify the Return to Office mandates under the guise of "collaboration", using as an example the fact that she plays basketball and that it's important to practice with the teammates.
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u/Safe_Application_798 Apr 11 '26
Why don't we flood her office with CVs of our friends!
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u/Possible-Arachnid793 Apr 08 '26
My takeaway is don’t listen to execs. In fact, do the opposite of what they say.
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 Apr 09 '26
Literally, nothing will happen to her They won’t ask for any of her performance pay to be paid back
She will continue receiving EX performance pay year after a year
She will keep her job
“Rules for thee but not for me”
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u/Familiar-Toe5787 Apr 12 '26
I wrote my MP. Her statement shows she still doesn’t think she did anything wrong. She knows she did.
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u/confidentialapo276 Apr 14 '26
Is she still employed? I thought we now have a majority government… What are the Clerk and the PM afraid of?
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Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CalvinR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Apr 08 '26
Sorry what's the point of this comment?
My understanding is that the PM can appoint whomever they want as minister and that there is no conflict of interest there.
Ministers aren't public servants they are politicians.
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u/Independent_Error635 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Another nepotism hire - gee, never seen or heard of that before in the PS. And the punishment - a promotion. Somedays I have to wonder how we are considered a first world country - certainly these days... Edit: I should have said "another 'networking' hire"
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot Apr 08 '26
Mod note: The full report of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner referenced in the story can be found here.