Ombudsperson 'encouraged' by progress after wrongful firings of B.C. health researchers

The B.C. government has implemented almost all of the provincial ombudsperson's recommendations, following an investigation into the wrongful dismissals of eight health researchers, according to a new report.

Ombudsperson Jay Chalke released an update Tuesday on his investigation into the 2012 firings conducted by the previous B.C. Liberal government — actions he previously described as inappropriate and based on flawed information.

Chalke said that in the 18 months since he released the results of his investigation into what happened, the province has implemented all but four of his 41 recommendations.

"Accomplishing so much over the year following the report's release involved a major commitment by the public service as well as political commitment by both the previous and current governments," Chalke wrote in his interim update.

He said he will continue to monitor the government's progress on the four remaining recommendations, which include additional payments to some of those affected and measures to create "a more positive workplace culture" inside the health ministry.

"I am encouraged by the collective commitment shown so far to ensure decision-making and human resource practices in the public service are fair and reasonable. However, that commitment must not stop now," Chalke said.

Sister says progress has taken too long

But Linday Kayfish, whose brother Roderick MacIsaac killed himself after he was fired, said it's taken far too long for the province to make crucial changes after the botched dismissals.

"This isn't just about me or my family or the people that were involved in this. This is about the government. The government is made up of people that we select to work for us ... and I hope that they actually are improving," Kayfish told CBC.

"But truthfully,  I have my doubts."

The eight workers at the centre of the scandal were all suspended or fired, amid allegations from the government of a privacy breach connected to their work in a drug research program. Then-health minister Margaret MacDiarmid told reporters that the RCMP had been called in to investigate.

That claim turned out to be false.

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Chalke conducted an 18-month investigation into the firings and released his findings last year.

He called on the province to apologize to the workers who "did not deserve the significant personal, financial and professional harm they suffered" and recommended the government make "goodwill" payments of $15,000 to $125,000 to those affected.

Chalke said Tuesday that those apologies and payments have all been made.

He had also recommended the province fund a $500,000 endowment for a scholarship at the University of Victoria, to honour Roderick MacIsaac.

That scholarship is now in place, Chalke said. The province had previously apologized to MacIsaac's family and reached out-of-court settlements with many of the workers or their families.

In response to Chalke's recommendations, the NDP government introduced legislation earlier this year that would give B.C.'s merit commissioner the authority to review all public service dismissals for just cause.