Category: Auditor General

Tories Say ‘Wasteful Spending’ Contributed to Cost-of-Living Crisis After Auditor General Issues Reports

Conservative MPs reacted to the auditor general releasing reports about government programs during the pandemic on Dec. 6 and said the “wasteful spending” contributed to the cost-of-living crisis. “The Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to present a plan that shows that they’re going to take this report seriously, and put in the controls that…


$27.4 Billion in CERB Payments Suspicious, Says Auditor General

Auditor General Karen Hogan reported Dec. 6 that $27.4 billion of Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments are suspicious and should be investigated. She said at least $4.6 billion was paid to ineligible individuals. The auditor’s report said Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has limited time to recover most of the money. “Unless the department or…


$4.6 Billion in COVID-19 Relief Payments Went to Ineligible Recipients, Says Auditor General

Auditor General Karen Hogan says $4.6 billion of the federal government’s previous COVID-19 relief payments were collected by recipients who didn’t meet the eligibility criteria, and at least another $27.4 billion went to individuals whose eligibility status still requires confirmation. Hogan’s office wrote in a performance audit tabled in the House of Commons on Dec. 6 that the…


Auditor General Probes COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement, Pandemic Benefits

Canada’s auditor general is expected to release two highly anticipated reports on the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in 2021, including access to vaccines and pandemic benefits. Karen Hogan’s first report will detail how well the government did getting ahold of COVID-19 vaccine doses and tracking how many people got them. The Liberal government…


Ontario Auditor General Finds Vaccine Waste, Poor Planning, and Overpriced Auto Insurance

Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk released her annual report Nov. 30 on 15 key areas of the province’s public sector programs. Highway Priorities The report found the Ford government ignored advice given by experts about highways in the province—deciding to stop work on six highways that had been approved for funding—in favour of building four…


Public Health Agency Falls Short on Protecting Canada’s Border Against COVID-19: Auditor General

Despite spending more than $600 million on control measures, a new report from the auditor general says the federal health agency’s failure to properly track travellers’ quarantine status leaves Canada’s border poorly defended against COVID-19. Auditor General Karen Hogan submitted four COVID-19-related reports to the House of Commons on Dec. 9, including one that examines…


WorkSafe’s Current Financial Trajectory ‘Unsustainable’: Victorian Auditor General

An independent review has found the financial trajectory of Victoria’s workers’ compensation scheme to be unsustainable as outstanding claims liabilities continue to surge. According to a report by Victorian Auditor-General Andrew Greaves, the value of the outstanding insurance claims liability for WorkSafe almost doubled over the last five years, from $13 billion (US$9.2 billion) in…