As you know, I was involved in auditing the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada, and we spent a huge amount of time auditing Phoenix. It's vital for everyone to be paid on time and accurately. The same goes for all the other benefits that the government provides to Canadians.
What I learned during the audit of Phoenix is that the IT programs are incredibly broad in scope, and they're complex. You need independent oversight from start to finish.
If appointed Auditor General, I would like the office to be involved in more of the government's large-scale IT projects from the outset. If that's not possible, the departments need to make sure there's proper oversight and accountability and that decision-makers have complete and accurate information.