Disgraced Integrity Commissioner Lashes Out At Critics

Christiane Ouimet told a Commons committee Thursday that there was “a profound misunderstanding” about the work she did as integrity commissioner.

It took Ouimet a long time to show up before the Commons committee investigating her job performance, but when she finally did testify Thursday she certainly wasn’t timid. Ouimet went missing for months after abruptly quitting her post as integrity commissioner last fall just before the auditor general released a report that found she had investigated only seven of the 228 cases her office received and was abusive to employees. Ouimet missed her scheduled appearance before the committee last month and turned up in Florida before finally returning to Ottawa. Testifying yesterday she claimed that the auditor general’s report was full of “serious flaws” and said, “I spoke truth to power.” She claimed the report ruined her health and reputation.