Bill 20 doesn’t encroach on local jurisdictions

Legislation to establish B.C.’s first Auditor General for Local Government (AGLG) came back before the legislature recently, announced Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

Bill 20 is up for second reading as the Province continues to work toward meeting Premier Christy Clark’s commitment to establish an Auditor General for Local Government to help ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are being used in the most efficient and effective way possible. The bill was first introduced in the legislature on Nov. 24, 2011.

Bill Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East, spoke in the B.C. Legislature today in support of Bill 20.

“It’s not about encroaching on local government jurisdiction… it’s about setting up a process whereby local government can get some independent advice about how they do business. I don’t actually understand why the opposition could be opposed to that,” said Bennett. “Hopefully local governments will learn through this process that there are better ways to do things, that they can deliver services more effectively than they’re delivering services at the present time and save their taxpayers some money.”

Bennett, speaking from the Legislature, also said that people in the Kootenay region would probably support the bill.

“I also have a first-rate relationship, I think, with local government officials throughout the Kootenay region… I actually work very, very closely with those folks. We work together on all kinds of projects… Sometimes it’s just a matter of working collaboratively with them to help them to accomplish the goals that they want to accomplish,” said Bennett. “When I talk to them about this, and when I say, ‘You know, this is an opportunity to learn maybe some better ideas, some better practices - you know, what’s somebody doing down the road in a different region that we might be able to learn from?’ The people that I talk to are actually quite open-minded to that, and I think, frankly, the opposition is going to be surprised and disappointed by the extent to which local government embraces this idea of a local government Auditor General.”

Preparations are underway to set up the AGLG office in Surrey, appoint an Audit Council and begin the search for the AGLG.

The BC Public Service Agency (BCPSA) will post the position of AGLG on its website this week. As well, the BCPSA will be placing advertisements for the position in various newspapers. Pending the legislation being brought into force, applicants would be assessed by the Audit Council once the Province appoints the council’s members.

Quick Facts:

• The AGLG would be appointed by Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development who would receive a recommendation from the Audit Council. The AGLG’s term would be for five years, with a maximum of two terms permitted.

• Statutory qualifications required for the position of AGLG:

• The person is authorized to be an auditor of a company under section 205 of the Business Corporations Act.

• In addition, the person must not be one of the following:

- A candidate for elected public office of any type.

- A holder of elected public office of any type.

-An employee of the Province.

- An employee of a local government.