Auditor general gets broader document access

The Nova Scotia government has introduced a new act aimed at providing the province's auditor general with access to government business documents.

In a report released in June, Jacques Lapointe complained that he had been denied access to files required to complete audits of the Industrial Expansion Fund and Nova Scotia Business Inc.

Finance Minister Graham Steele says the overhaul of the Auditor General Act will allow Lapointe broader access to information.

Steele says that includes access to cabinet and solicitor-client documents, although the auditor general will be required to keep the content of the confidential documents private.

Lapointe calls the new act comprehensive and says it clears up any disagreement over what he can and cannot look into.

He says a new provision calling for the examination of the budget needs of his office by a special committee also ensures his independence from government.