The Alberta government is on the hunt for a new auditor general, but the Opposition NDP says they're forcing him out before he finishes investigating a health-care contracting scandal.
Auditor general Doug Wylie has been looking into health contract procurement processes following allegations of corruption by a former head of Alberta Health Services earlier this year.
The allegations haven't been proven in court, and a government-commissioned report found no evidence of wrongful interference from Premier Danielle Smith, her ministers or staff.
With his eight-year term set to expire in April, Wylie offered to stay on for an extra two years to finish what he started.
But United Conservative Party members of a legislature committee used their majority Monday to request that a search committee begin headhunting to fill the role.
The UCP caucus said in a news release it's standard practice for the committee to hold an open and merit-based process to appoint a new auditor general.
"We’re grateful to Mr. Wylie for his dedicated service and the important work his office has done in nearly eight years,” said committee chair Brandon Lunty.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery told reporters in the legislature there’s no precedent in Alberta for an automatic renewal of Wylie's contract.
“We're confident that the office will remain and that a new auditor general will continue with that work and continue with whatever it is that the former (auditor general) was doing,” said Amery.
Wylie told The Canadian Press that he was hoping to have extra time to help prepare his office for a leadership transition, and that the health-care procurement investigation remains active.
"I wanted to make sure that, if it did go over past my term, that I would have an opportunity to see that piece through," he said.
He said his office is laser focused on getting its work done, but if it doesn't, it will be up to the new auditor general to decide how to handle it.
NDP legislature member David Shepherd told reporters that by refusing to extend Wylie's contract, the government is "cutting him off at the knees" to protect their own political interests.
"This is the government choosing to fire, to remove, the individual that is currently investigating them in one of the most serious scandals -- some of the most serious allegations we've ever seen against an Alberta government -- before he's had the chance potentially to complete that work," he said.
He said UCP committee member Scott Cyr suggesting that Wylie could simply re-apply for the job was "an insult."
Wylie, when asked whether he planned to re-apply, said he offered to remain in the role to help deal with the transfer to new leadership.
"I did not offer to stay on another eight years. My offer was for two years."
Cyr, in committee, said they want the best person for the job, and the NDP's attempt to politicize the process was "shameful."
"The allegation that we're firing him is completely false," said Cyr.
"To suggest that we're trying to do some nefarious act by moving forward this request, that's completely ludicrous and insulting."
Shepherd told the committee he's seen "abundant" past precedent for committees to offer one- or two-year extensions to independent officers of the legislature, especially when they're undertaking substantive work.
Shepherd noted that Wylie has had to come to committees multiple times to ask for extra funding for his office this past year.
"It's unprecedented because of the uncertainty and the chaos that's being created in their work by this government," he said.
Wylie said he expects to release another substantive report soon looking into the government's privatization of community lab services, and subsequent policy reversal. In 2023, the government cancelled handling of community lab testing by private provider Dynalife after months of complaints of long wait times and service bottlenecks in some areas.
However, Wylie said some of the other work his office had planned to contract out to help audit the government's books will need to be pushed back without an extra injection of almost a million dollars.
Wylie said he needs $977,000 more this year to audit the ongoing massive restructuring of health care in the province, including newly established organizations, as well as a new subsidiary for a financial Crown corporation.
"We need money now, so that's why we made the request now," he said.
UCP members used their majority on the committee to defer the request until after Wylie submits budget information in December.
The restructuring will see Alberta Health Services, the province's former single authority on health care, relegated to a hospital services provider, along with the creation of new governing agencies.
Wylie said his office potentially needs to examine the transfer of assets, liabilities and programs across 12 potential financial statements, rather than four.
"With all of this transition and restructure comes a great deal of audit work."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
