Public Accounts Committee on Nov. 29th, 2016

[Brian Bradley, Director of Finance, Atlantic Pilotage Authority]

Annually we try to have at least an internal audit started. This year, because of the special exam, we did not do one in 2015. We had one in 2016. That came out of their report. The common theme throughout their report is our documentation handling, documenting our procedures. That is what our internal audit project is on this year and should get a report this year to us. Then every year thereafter, consistent with the ISO process, we'll continue to be audited on those procedures and documentation. That will be over and above an internal audit project on other topics as well that our audit committee will set on any and all of this.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Good.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I want to thank you for appearing today.

I want to be clear on part of what the mandate of our committee is. As you know, our Auditor General conducts audits of many different departments. He released one today. The public accounts committee's responsibility is to follow up on those audits to make sure that departments or crown corporations are, indeed, meeting their timelines, fulfilling the recommendations that they've accepted and are going through it.

We commend you that you have an action plan and you're well down the road on the action plan. You have a timeline to complete the action plan. These are all very positive steps that the public accounts committee recognizes. But this past week we had a department that had timelines as well. Then when they left the meeting, as was typical a few years ago, they unilaterally changed the timelines, extended the timelines. We had to call back a department and find out why. That's putting it mildly. We appreciate that you are on track, on time, and that you believe that by June you will see these completed. We commend you for that.

I can guarantee that governments want you to succeed. They want you to have the right people and the right plans in place. As you continue to better the governance structure and some of those things, we're certainly hoping that we'll see success.

Thank you for being here again. In spite of our Auditor General not being here today—he is busy; we get it—to the Auditor General's team, thank you for a very good job and for appearing before the committee today.

We will suspend. I'll allow our guests to make their exit, and then we will go in camera on committee business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]