GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO LET AUDITOR GENERAL ADDRESS HOUSE
Government MLAs refused to allow the Auditor General of Canada to appear as a witness in the Legislative Assembly on February 15 to discuss in public her report on the Department of Health and Social Services, says NDP House leader Steve Cardiff.
“In last week’s budget address, the minister of Finance and Premier said his government remains committed to practicing good governance and making the House work better,” Cardiff adds. “On Tuesday, he failed miserably to do that.
“By refusing to allow Sheila Fraser to report her findings in person to all MLAs, their staff, and members of the Yukon public, the government is reneging on its stated commitment to work collaboratively and co-operatively with opposition members.”
Government members did not give their consent to debate an NDP motion calling on the House to resolve into Committee of the Whole on that day so the Auditor General can provide further details of her comprehensive audit of the Health and Social Services department to MLAs and the public. Politicians and bureaucrats rely on this information to help them ensure transparency and accountability in the department’s planning, spending and reporting practices.
Instead, the government wants the chair and president of the Yukon Hospital Corporation to appear in the House that afternoon to answer questions from opposition members.
“The government has known for months the Auditor General would be in the territory that day,” Cardiff notes. “The Yukon public has a right to hear directly from the Auditor General herself whether they are getting value for money being spent by the department of Health and Social Services.”