Nova Scotia's auditor general says 'modern expectations' demand transparency

Nova Scotia's auditor general calledout the Department of Finance Wednesday for not monitoring the expenses of some top executives who work for entities including the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation.

Michael Pickup said provincial government agencies, boards and commissions are still not required to disclose hospitality and travel expenses.

Last year, his office urged the Department of Finance to collect expense reports for senior executives."To date that has not been done," Pickup said."I think modern expectations for public sector entities require that they should."

NSLC will disclose if someone asks

A spokeswomanfor the NSLC said the government hadn't asked them to do that.

"[We]will comply with any directive our government may issue in this regard," saidDenise Corra."We do voluntarily publish the expenses for our board of directors every quarter."

It's not just the NSLC, Pickup said. Executives at Halifax Harbour Bridges and the Nova Scotia Health Authority, "along with a whole host of other entities, should be disclosing these types of expenses."

He said it's about building public confidencein the officials who run these organizations.

Tourismmonths late with statements

Pickup also citedissues with the new Nova Scotia Health Authority and Tourism Nova Scotia.The auditor general questionedsome of the spending practices of the health authority.

He asked why the health authority took$7million from a restricted fund to cover payroll and other operating expenses. At the same time, he said, the Department of Health and Wellness owed the authority $70 million.

Pickup saideven though the money was extracted using solid accounting practices and it was repaid it should never have happened.

$60M advanced to health authority every 2 weeks

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said Wednesday the province gives more than $60 million in advance to the health authority every two weeks to cover operations.However, other things are paid foronlyonce the health authority submits a claim.

She saidthe $70 million figure reflected such claims, which are paid 30 to 60 days after being filed by the health authority.

Pickup called out Tourism Nova Scotia for failing to deliver its financial statements to the minister of business on time and in accordance with the Tourism Nova Scotia Act.

The statement was to be submitted by June 30,but as of the end of September it still has not been submitted.

• 40% of Nova Scotia auditor general recommendations still not implemented