1 IPAC & Ontario Information And Privacy Commissioner ‘Right to Know’ Day Jim McCarter Auditor General Halloween, 2007 Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, Canada

2 Overview Some Background on the Ontario Auditor General’s Office Observations on government openness and transparency Possible future trends

3 The Auditor General is appointed under the provisions of the Auditor General Act by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the address of the Assembly after consultation with the Chair (opposition member) of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. As an Officer of the Assembly, the Auditor General is independent from the government. The Legislative Assembly is the Office’s client. The Auditor General is only removable for cause on address of the Assembly. The Auditor has a 10 year non-renewable term. Independence of the Auditor

4 Provide information to the Legislature to help it ensure taxpayer funds are prudently spent and ministries and organizations in the broader public sector follow sound business practices. Encourage improvements in the way public services are delivered (better and more cost- effective service delivery). Traditional auditor role - provide assurance that financial accounts are fairly presented. What Is Primary Job Of The Auditor General

5 Size of Office Office’s annual estimates approved by the all party Board of Internal Economy In comparison to the other larger provincial audit offices: Population Office Budget $Staff Quebec 7.6M 22.5M224 Alberta 3.2M18.6M131 Ontario 12.5M15.3M 117 BC 4.2M12.2M 89

6 What Types of Audits does the Office do?

7 All 3 political parties publicly support concept in Legislature. Standing Committee on Public Accounts hearings have been supportive Web based results information Web based customer service info Formal support for any Auditor’s recommendations in this area Transparency and Openness

8 Expansion of Auditor General’s mandate to audit broader public sector organizations Full audit access – hospitals, school boards, universities / colleges, CAS’s, long-term care homes, hydro corporations, etc Advertising Act: A.G. pre-approves all government advertising to ensure non- partisan “Transparency” Initiatives Involving Our Office

9 Fiscal Transparency & Accountability Act: Requires pre-election financial report on expected future fiscal results and A.G. to opine on reasonableness of fiscal forecasts Getting more “special” requests (2 reported in 2007 so far) Bruce Nuclear Refurbishment Premier’s request to review Citizenship yearend grants CAS Follow-up (to come late December) “Transparency” Initiatives Involving Our Office (Cont’d)

10 Improved public performance reporting Wait times and Kirby Report Website reporting, i.e.: college job placements Registrar General time guarantee Expanded Fiscal Annual Report (more disclosure similar large corporation’s AR’s) Detailed Public Accounts expenditure, salary, etc, details now posted on web Crown agencies – 3 year ministry annual business plan Other “Transparency” Initiatives

11 Key program outcomes – are they being measured and reported publicly Performance results not ‘cherry- picked’ Estimates summary disclosure, i.e.: LHIN’s $19 billion Open & transparent purchasing practices Some Areas A.G. “Watching”

12 Will government “manage” what info is made transparent? Reliability of reported info – role of A.G. in some jurisdictions Public push for more web-based disclosure Keep the K.I.S.S. principle in mind Possible Future Trends

13 Thank you and Any Questions? Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, Canada