Clerk made decision to withold audit documents: NDP
Posted Jun 3, 2010 06:06:36 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the NDP government is trying to mislead Nova Scotians again.
The New Democrats came under fire Wednesday with the auditor general’s latest report, which targeted two government entities that refused to hand over documents for an audit.
Jacques Lapointe says Nova Scotia Business Incorporated and staff overseeing the Industrial Expansion Fund are withholding more than 200 documents, which hinders his work.
Finance Minister Graham Steele says the decision was made by a cabinet clerk.
“There was never a political decision saying ‘here’s what the position of our government is,'” said Steele. “It is not an issue that ever came before our cabinet.”
The Liberal’s Stephen McNeil says that’s hard to believe, because the auditor general sent a letter to the premier himself.
“There is no government in the history of our province that would allow a decision like this to be made at the clerk level without it being seen by cabinet ministers and by the premier,” said McNeil.
McNeil says it’s the government trying to shift the blame onto a clerk.
“The premier wanted the job to be the premier of this province,” he said. “He should act appropriately and lead, instead of looking for some to hide behind constantly.”
The NDP say the clerk was acting on in accordance with longstanding government policy, and says it needs legislative changes to give the
auditor greater access.
