British Columbia.

• Author: Couture, Josee
• Position: Legislative Reports

The spring sitting of the fourth session of the 41st Parliament of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia adjourned on May 30, 2019. The Legislative Assembly will resume sitting on October 7, 2019. The fall sitting is expected to focus on legislation.

Legislative Assembly Administration

On September 19, 2019, Auditor General Carol Bellringer released an audit report titled, Expense Policies and Practices in the Offices of the Speaker, Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms. The performance audit was carried out with the support of the Legislative Assembly Management Committee in response to the issues first raised by Speaker Darryl Plecas, in his January 21, 2019 report titled, Report of Speaker Darryl Plecas to the Legislative Assembly Management Committee Concerning Allegations of Misconduct by Senior Officers of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly.

Based on a review of expense claims and documentation from the period between April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018, the audit report found that the expenses in the Offices of the Speaker, Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms were not adequately governed by policies; where policies were in place, they were not consistently followed. The Auditor General made nine recommendations aimed at guiding the Assembly in developing new policies to address weaknesses and gaps and establishing efficient and effective oversight of its use of public resources, including ensuring that the Legislative Assembly has: a comprehensive policy framework to govern financial practices and authorization; a comprehensive travel policy; appropriate expense authorization and review; and that existing contracts are in compliance with procurement policies. The Auditor General also recommended that the Legislative Assembly provide clear guidelines on what work-related clothing it will pay for and clarify expectations for the purchase of gifts. Finally, the Auditor General recommended formalizing the reporting relationships of the Assembly's Executive Financial Officer with the Speaker, the Legislative Assembly Management Committee, and its advisory subcommittee, the Finance and Audit Committee.

In the formal response to the audit report, the Legislative Assembly acknowledged the Auditor General's key findings and accepted all recommendations. In recent months, the Committee and the Acting Clerk initiated work related to many of the audit report recommendations. The General Expenditure Policy, Corporate Purchasing Card Policy and...