The federal department that is supposed to guide Canada through pandemics, natural disasters and terrorist attacks is failing to assume its proper role and show that it acts as the lead authority in times of crisis, the Auditor-General said Tuesday.
"Public Safety Canada has not exercised the leadership necessary to co-ordinate emergency management activities, including critical infrastructure protection in Canada," Sheila Fraser said in a report to Parliament.
As it stands, the federal government reacts to matters such as the H1N1 pandemic or major blackouts on a "case-by-case basis," eight years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks highlighted the need for better responses to emergencies.
While massive floods or cyber-attacks have a "low probability of occurrence," the government has to be ready given their "high potential impact," the report said.
However, the government has yet to thoroughly determine the critical infrastructure that needs to be protected in Canada, with Natural Resources Canada and Public Safety Canada both working in parallel to map the country's strategic resources.
Ms. Fraser said that Public Safety Canada has yet to develop a clear plan to tackle major crises in Canada.
"Until it is clearly established how Public Safety Canada will work with other departments, it will be difficult for it to truly co-ordinate the federal response to emergency situations," Ms. Fraser told reporters.
"Canada needs to have a planned and co-ordinated approach in place so that federal, provincial and municipal agencies know what part they will play in managing a crisis."
The Auditor-General found that Ottawa's Federal Emergency Response Plan has yet to be formally endorsed by the government.
"To be able to respond effectively to large-scale emergencies and reduce the potential loss of life and property damage, there needs to be extensive planning and co-ordination," the report said.
Ottawa called for an "all-hazards approach" in 2004, meaning it said it had to be prepared to respond to any emergency, regardless of whether the cause was natural, accidental or malicious.
Public Safety Canada has had problems meetings its goals, given high turnover in its senior ranks. In the previous fiscal year, there was a 39-per cent vacancy rate among senior managers.