The B.C. NDP and three Independents are asking the Liberal government to re-appoint Auditor General John Doyle to another six-year term.
On Jan. 5 it was discovered that the government was advertising the auditor general position.
The NDP reacted by saying they believe Doyle has been an effective and impartial critic of the government and he deserves to be reappointed.
“In addition to his record, reappointing Doyle would save time and money, and serve the public interest,” NDP caucus chair Shane Simpson said.
“Doyle has issued a number of scathing reports during his term, and is currently in the process of investigating why the Liberal government decided to pay $6 million in legal fees for convicted Liberal insiders in the BC Rail scandal in October 2010.
Doyle has been fighting the government in court for access to the documents he needs to complete his investigation,” an NDP press release stated.
Cariboo North Independent MLA Bob Simpson echoed Simpson, stating that Doyle has been highly effective.
“If you look at the government’s response to his reports, you can tell he’s asking the right questions and making the right recommendations.”
Simpson, along with Independents Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington and Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen also issued a press release and suggested the decision to not reappoint Doyle may have been politically motivated.
“The government hasn’t been happy with the auditor general’s critique from the beginning, but it’s his job to ask the tough questions,” Simpson said. “Whether the government likes it or not, we need him there to cut through the noise and point to problems with government policy and accounting.
Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett said Tuesday the decision about the auditor general position was given to a special committee to deal with.
“I have no idea why the committee has made the decision. In essence that is their job,” Barnett said.
“I have no opinion on how and why they made the decision, the only thing I can say is basically I have done a little bit of background research and learned that very seldom is an auditor general there for more than six years at a time.”
Barnett said Doyle can reapply if he wants to stay on as auditor general.
“I don’t think he did a bad job,” she added.
Doyle’s term will be finished in May.