If you want to be BC auditor-general, now’s your chance.
An ad is out, asking for prospective replacements for John Doyle.
Doyle has not been reappointed.
MLA John Les sits on a special committee that appoints an auditor-general.
He says all decisions on that committee have to be unanimous — and says there hasn’t been unanimity in terms of keeping Doyle in that position.
Speaking with CKNW’s Sean Leslie, Les was asked whether the Government wants to get rid of Doyle.
“No, it’s normal for there to be some tension between an auditor general and the government of the day, that’s not unusual at all — if you look at the federal level for example where Shiela Fraser, when she was the auditor general, she was pretty tough on the federal government as well, and you know, John Doyle has been the same in British Columbia, so that is in itself, not at all unusual.”
Doyle’s term is up in October.
Last summer, he criticized the Legislature’s accounting practices.
He has also been working for answers in the BC Rail case — about the covering of legal fees for Dave Basi and Bob Virk.
The committee that appoints an auditor-general is made up of both Liberals and New Democrats.
Les didn’t say who wanted Doyle to stay and who wanted him to go.
Meanwhile, NDP MLA Shane Simpson says his party supported the reappointment of Doyle.
He says the decision to not keep Doyle is not in the public interest, and is not justified.
“There’s a long, long list of issues where Mr. Doyle as the auditor-general has brought out information through his reports that have demonstrated problems with government procedures and government controls. That’s what the auditor-general should be doing, he was doing a good job, the Liberals have decided with no justification that they’re going to get rid of him.”
Simpson calls Doyle one of the most effective watchdogs of the public interest that BC has seen in many years.
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