Evidence of meeting #36 for Public Accounts in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was reports.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:20 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
I don't know that we have that information, but I'll certainly try. We'll also note for the committee that all of our contracts over $10,000 are posted on our website.
6:20 p.m.
NDP
6:20 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you.
Also, you're going to begin doing reports on performance indicators, as to the percentage of audits produced on time and within budget. First, do you have those performance targets for those indicators now? Second, what does the current data tell you that things look like?
6:20 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
We have, for many years, established budgets for all of our audits and have a time reporting system where we track all the costs. That has been presented to the committee in the past, and I believe that in our performance report we have a link, actually on our website, where you can get all the details.
We set some pretty aggressive targets. We wanted our financial audits to decrease by 15% when we brought in new technology three years ago. We haven't met that target, in part because of a lot of new standards that came out from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, especially for financial organizations. We noted in our performance report that over half of our special examinations didn't meet the statutory deadline, and that's something we have to address in the next year. So we are working on that.
We meet financial audits on time because we have to. We have also made a lot of progress in moving in some of the territories. We still have challenges in one territory in getting the reports out on time.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Thank you, Mr. Christopherson.
Mr. Williams, you have the final question.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a final question.
Now that under the Federal Accountability Act the Auditor General has the capacity to follow the money in grants and contributions, we hear lots of rumours about our first nations' financial management. Money doesn't always appear to be appropriately spent, and so on. Do you have any thought whatsoever about following the money into the first nations' financial statements to see how they're really meeting the criteria?
6:20 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
First nations are excluded under the Federal Accountability Act.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
That was the end of a good idea, Mr. Chairman, wasn't it?
I still think we have to find a way to make these financial statements public. Anyway, I may pursue that another day.
Thank you.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Thank you, Mr. Williams, for those remarks.
That concludes the rounds, members.
Mrs. Fraser, do you have any closing comments?
6:20 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
No, I'd just like to thank the committee for its continued interest in our work. The hearings that you hold are very valuable to us and the result of all the work we do. So thank you.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you and the other members of your senior staff for being here today. Shortly this committee will be writing a report on both your reports. Again, I want to thank you.
Colleagues, that concludes today's meeting. We're on again at 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon.