A day after the Auditor General released a report looking at government travel, and expenses of the office of the former premier was released, the official opposition is calling for a public inquiry into spending practices of the government.
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said in a press conference Friday that the report from Auditor General Merwan Saher on focused on expenses from the office of former premier Alison Redford, but found that spending policies were also disregarded in other departments.
The report, and Saher’s remarks Thursday, is enough evidence to warrant a full probe into government-wide spending practices, Smith said.
“The obvious question following Mr. Saher’s report is just how far these kinds of abuses are spread across government departments,” Smith said in a press release. “The only way to do that is to hold a full public inquiry.”
Smith said her party is challenging the three candidates for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party, Jim Prentice, Ric McIver, and Thomas Lukaszuk, to call for such an inquiry if they are chosen to lead the governing party.
“The single biggest issue the Alberta PC Party faces today is their ethical conduct and their moral authority to govern,” Smith said. “I think all three of them recognize this, so if they’re serious about cleaning up government and regaining Albertan’s trust, it should be a no-brainer for them to commit to a public inquiry.”
