Future of Canadian corporate watchdog uncertain as top position remains vacant

An office created by the Trudeau government to crack down on abuses by Canadian corporations abroad has been without a permanent head for more than a year, with the position now vacant and the future of the watchdog under review.

The federal government launched the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) in 2019, calling the office the first of its kind in the world. It is tasked with probing allegations of human-rights abuses and environmental harms by Canadian companies operating overseas in the mining, oil and garment sectors.