Province Gets New Auditor General
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly has approved the appointment of a new auditor general.
Members of the legislature voted unanimously today, Dec.8, to appoint Jacques Lapointe to replace outgoing auditor general Roy Salmon. Mr. Salmon is retiring after 14 years in the post.
Under the province's Auditor General Act, the Governor in Council appoints a person to be the auditor general subject to the approval of the House of Assembly by majority vote. The act was amended in May of this year to stipulate that the auditor general shall hold office for a term of 10 years and may not be reappointed.
"We conducted an open, non-partisan, and independent search and selection process," said Premier John Hamm. "I want to thank the members of the oversight, and interview and selection committees for the many hours they devoted to the task of finding a new auditor general for Nova Scotia."
The appointment follows a year-long national search, led by an all-party oversight committee composed of Justice Minister Michael Baker, MLAs Graham Steele, and Keith Colwell, who replaced former MLA Danny Graham.
The oversight committee was assisted by a professional recruitment firm and the Nova Scotia Public Service Commission. An independent committee composed of representatives from the legal and professional accounting communities conducted interviews and selection, recommending the successful candidate to government.
The Office of the Auditor General is responsible for ensuring that taxpayers' money is spent efficiently, openly, and for the purposes intended. In addition to overseeing financial processes, the auditor general and his staff also audit the operational processes followed by departments, Crown corporations, and government agencies.
Mr. Salmon's resignation takes effect Feb. 28, 2006, and Mr. Lapointe's term begins on March 1. Mr. Salmon will serve as special advisor to Mr. Lapointe until March 31, to allow for a transition period.
Mr. Lapointe comes to his new role from the Ontario internal audit division, where he served as chief internal auditor and assistant deputy minister since 2000.