'Albertans need to know': UCP ripped for lack of accounting on $4B in COVID-19 spending
A damning new report from Alberta's auditor general finds government ministries failed to include understandable, relevant and comparable data on COVID-19 in year-end reporting.
"Those are key accountability documents, those ministry annual reports," Doug Wylie said Thursday. "Albertans need to know what was achieved with that money."
Wylie wants to make it clear that no money is missing.
At the same time, he's determined there is insufficient information on what pandemic programs like commercial rent relief, help for cities and towns, and improvements for schools actually accomplished.
"Such things as the number of jobs created. So this was an opportunity where we had to keep the economy going, so how many jobs were created? What was the cost of PPE?" he wondered.
Alberta's former finance minister declined an interview request. In a statement, Travis Toews, who resigned to run for UCP leader, says he tried to improve reporting practices.
“When we were presented with an unprecedented pandemic, we delivered unprecedented levels of support nobody had planned for,” a statement from Toews said.
The NDP believes the government has failed Albertans.
"This is explosive language for a group of accountants," NDP Finance Critic Shannon Phillips said of the findings. "The ultimate check here is not a rule or a law, the ultimate check here is common decency, and respect for democratic institutions."
"Millions in transportation, child care costs, rental assistance, and no reporting on what was actually achieved," added NDP Health Critic David Shepherd.
Wylie's office found some examples of good financial reporting, but it was determined that the ministries of finance, health, education, municipal affairs, seniors and housing, and jobs and the economy all lacked important information in their reports.
The report doesn’t make any recommendations for improvement. Instead, it reemphasizes advice given to the government in 2019.
A treasury board spokesperson told CTV News Edmonton that each ministry is now required to include a dedicated COVID-19 recovery plan section in their annual report.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Tesla recalling nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks because accelerator pedal can get stuck
Tesla is recalling 3,878 of its 2024 Cybertrucks after it discovered that the accelerator pedal can become stuck, potentially causing the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally and increase the risk of a crash.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.