Bond rebuffs NDP hopeful

The current B.C. auditor general was doing too good a job to be reappointed by a Liberal government, charged a local NDP candidate.

On Wednesday, Prince George-Valemount NDP candidate Sherry Ogasawara urged incumbent MLA Shirley Bond support the reappointment of John Doyle to his watchdog position.

"Auditor general John Doyle has been an effective watchdog for British Columbians, and now it looks like the Liberal government is trying to silence him," said Ogasawara. "I'm concerned that Mr. Doyle's track record of holding the Liberals to account is the reason he is not being reappointed."

The position of auditor general is a six-year term appointed by a Legislative Assembly committee. The five-person committee consists of three Liberals and two members of the NDP.

Under the Auditor General Act, if Doyle expressed an interest in serving a second term at least six months before his first six years was up, the committee needed to come up with unanimous support within 60 days. That did not happen and the search process was triggered for a new overseer to replace Doyle when his term expires this year. He was appointed to the position October 2007.

"Historically, auditors general have rarely served more than one term. A new auditor general will be appointed and oversight will continue," Bond said.

Ogasawara said government accountability is a top priority for voters.

"After the HST fiasco, the Liberals are bungling the transition back to the PST. They're wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on a self-serving advertising blitz. They are more interest in partisan politics than good government."

Bond agreed that having someone looking over the government's shoulder was a good idea.

"No one is questioning the need or importance of having an auditor general to act as a watchdog and provide independent assessment of government finances," said Bond. "In fact, it was our government that supported oversight at the municipal level by creating a local government auditor general, which was not supported by the NDP."