A year after the Charbonneau Commission tabled its report on corruption in the construction industry, experts are giving Quebec a failing grade for its follow-up on the report's recommendations.

The Charbonneau Commission issued 60 recommendations, but only 24 of them have been either fully or partially put in place.

The committee, made up of academics and former researchers at the Charbonneau Commission, concluded that the government's response has been less than adequate.

"Right now it doesn't have the power to, and the resources to, successfully answer to the commission's wishes which was to create a centre of expertise that would benefit all public contracts in Quebec, including municipalities," said Pierre-Olivier Brodeur.

The researcher pointed out that people willing to point out corruption and other problems are not protected.

"A whistleblower, when he comes out, will face major adversity," said Brodeur.

Lino Zambito was one such person who was open about offering bribes to win contracts, and who testified against his former colleagues.

"God knows how much we need whistleblowers," said Zambito.

"Without them the work would have been much harder and the work would not have been given."

One of the most important recommendations involved the creation of a watchdog responsible for overseeing the awarding of public contracts.

The problem, apparently, is that this watchdog doesn't have the independence, the powers, nor the tools needed to improve how public contracts are awarded. 

Zambito believes that is deliberate.

"The government is not in the mood of putting them down," he said.

The commission also doesn't have the power to force the government's hand.

Its members will, however, talk to the public again next year to discuss what has been implemented in an effort to maintain the pressure to fight corruption.

Bill 80, currently tabled at the National Assembly, is supposed to protect whistleblowers, but the committee feels the bill is deeply flawed, and doesn't protect whistleblowers at the municipal level or those who choose to speak to the press instead of police, for example.