A Conservative MP is accusing the federal government of failing to meet its legal obligations after Canada’s corporate watchdog for overseas conduct went years without filing required reports to Parliament.Blacklock's Reporter says Arnold Viersen told the House of Commons the Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise has not tabled an annual report since 2022, despite a statutory requirement to disclose findings on allegations such as forced labour and exploitation tied to Canadian firms operating abroad.“The concern here is not an isolated delay but an ongoing failure to ensure Parliament is kept informed,” Viersen said, arguing MPs are being denied access to critical information on potential human rights abuses.He called on Parliament to find cabinet in breach of its obligations, saying lawmakers should be able to review annual updates detailing investigations into claims of modern slavery and other misconduct. Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia has reserved judgment on the matter pending further review.The ombudsman position was created following a 2018 announcement that Ottawa would establish an office to handle complaints and investigate alleged abuses by Canadian companies overseas. At the time, the government said the office would have authority to probe wrongdoing and hold firms accountable.However, concerns about the office’s effectiveness have persisted since its inception..When the first ombudsman, Sheri Meyerhoffer, was appointed in 2019, then-trade minister Jim Carr acknowledged the role would not be fully independent and would lack powers under the Inquiries Act, including the ability to compel testimony.Meyerhoffer later testified in 2021 that her office had not launched a single investigation in its first two years, citing jurisdictional hurdles such as determining whether complaints involved Canadian companies and alleged human rights violations outside the country.Labour groups including the United Steelworkers and the Canadian Labour Congress have long criticized the office, pushing for proactive investigations into supply chains and overseas operations.One such effort ended in court, where labour lawyers sought to compel the ombudsman to investigate a Canadian retailer’s suppliers in Bangladesh over wage concerns. The case was dismissed in 2025, with Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson ruling the ombudsman lacks enforcement authority.“The ombudsman is essentially an advisor,” Gleeson wrote, adding the office has no power to compel participation or impose penalties.
