Complaint of irregularities at lieutenant-governor's office prompted by audit

RCMP in New Brunswick now say they did not receive a complaint from within the office of the lieutenant-governor that prompted their investigation of "financial irregularities."

A spokesperson for the police force told CBC News on Friday that the complaint came from the office, but Sgt. Chantal Farrah said Saturday "that's not the case."

Farrah said the force was contacted by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and New Brunswick's Office of the Comptroller, which acts as an internal government auditor.

"That's who made the complaint," Farrah said.

On Friday, a provincial spokesperson said the federal department and the provincial office had done a joint audit and brought its findings to the RCMP.

No charges have been laid. The investigation was opened Aug. 2, the same day Lt.-Gov. Jocelyn Roy Vienneau died.

Premier Blaine Higgs said in a statement he may consider asking the auditor general to look into the matter, but it all depends on the result of the investigation.

"Where this is an ongoing RCMP investigation we won't be making any further comments," he said.

A new lieutenant-governor has not been appointed yet, so this investigation comes at a time when there is no one to sign cabinet orders or approve cabinet decisions.

Parliamentary expert Lyle Skinner said New Brunswick is lucky the legislature is not sitting in thesummer.

"You never know when some type of urgent government decision needs to be made, [which] can't happen because of the office being vacant," he said.

Skinner said 21 days without a representative of the Crown is a record for New Brunswick. The previous record of 16 days was reached when John Boyd died in office on Dec. 4, 1893.

Lieutenant-governors serve a minimum term of five years unless they resign early, so an appointment to replace Roy Vienneau was widely expected this fall regardless.

What about the federal election?

Skinner said there is no concern that the federal election will get in the way of appointing alieutenant-governor, if it takes that long to appoint one.

Canada has a caretaker convention, which says government should restrict itself to routine and non-controversial decisions when election time is close.

The Canada Elections Act says a campaign can be a maximum of 50 days, which means the writs for this year's election can't be be issued until Sept. 1.

"This is 10 days away," he said. "If it gets to the point where the position is not filled by then, the caretaker convention would kick in."

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