OTTAWA – Global Affairs Canada has dismissed 22 employees in the past year due to issues such as fraud, theft, and submitting false documents while Mélanie Joly was the Foreign Affairs Minister.
A recent annual report shows 218 complaints about staff conduct were filed between April 2024 and March 2025. These complaints covered a range of behaviour problems, with the findings first highlighted by Blacklock’s Reporter.
Global Affairs Canada manages the country’s diplomatic and consular work, international trade, and development worldwide. The department employs over 7,500 people in Canada, with another 5,500 local staff posted at 181 missions in 112 countries.
According to the report, 125 complaints led to formal investigations. Of these cases, 120 resulted in some type of discipline, which ranged from warnings to firing staff.
Following these reviews, 22 people lost their jobs, 42 received a written warning, and 22 were suspended. Eleven employees were required to complete additional training. Another seven received a verbal warning. In 24 other cases, investigations led to outcomes such as resignations or the issuing of letters outlining expectations.
One case involved an employee who, over seven years, submitted fake receipts to claim allowance money. Another staff member arranged for colleagues to be overpaid and then told them to repay the extra money directly to the employee, a practice that carried on for almost four years.
Global Affairs Legal Action
Global Affairs Canada described this activity as a severe violation of trust that cost the agency money. Legal action is underway to recover the funds. The investigation also found a case where an employee helped relatives and friends get hired.
This person also tried to influence how much pay a family member would get, lied to senior staff, and allowed employees to work from home when they were supposed to be on-site.
Other issues uncovered included the misuse of department credit and fuel cards, false documents for expenses, and failure to disclose conflicts of interest.
There were also cases where staff presented fake medical notes to excuse absences or provided false academic credentials during hiring.
To address these problems, Global Affairs Canada has introduced new rules and training programs. The department is updating its Values and Ethics Code and its conduct policies. Employees, especially supervisors, are taking part in mandatory training on values, ethics, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
New training will also cover conflict resolution, managing performance, and building workplaces where staff feel safe to speak up.
The 2024–2025 report underlines Global Affairs Canada’s commitment to handling all misconduct cases quickly and fairly. The department says this work shows its ongoing commitment to professionalism and ethical behaviour, matching the public service’s values and standards for conduct.
