Carney closes Canadian corporate watchdog amid criticism over timing

Prime Minister Mark Carney has ended the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, a federal office created in 2019 to review allegations of human rights abuses linked to Canadian companies operating abroad. The office was still taking complaints until Carney announced its closure on June 11, even though he said the decision had been made months earlier. Global Affairs Canada said complaints were accepted until the announcement, then redirected to the National Contact Point, a separate office that mainly offers mediation and has no investigative powers. Advocates and some complainants criticized both the shutdown and the lack of communication around it, saying cases were left in limbo. They argued the government should have strengthened the office rather than eliminate it, especially after repeated concerns about the watchdog's limited authority and a longvacant top job.