B.C. committee seeking to replace auditor general John Doyle

VANCOUVER – The B.C. government is searching for a replacement for auditor general John Doyle, whose six year term is set to end later this year.

A special legislative committee in charge of the auditor general’s appointment has taken out newspaper advertistments seeking candidates for auditor general, with a deadline of Jan. 25.

The deliberations of the committee are confidential, but NDP caucus chair Shane Simpson said his party wanted Doyle to remain and he suggests any resistance to his re-appointment came from the Liberals.

None of the Liberal members of the committee could immediately be reached for comment.

Simpson describes the decision not to appoint Doyle as “petty and vendictive” and he is urging the committee to reconsider.

Doyle has been involved in several high-profile reports and investigations that have embarassed the governing Liberals, most notably his ongoing examiniation of legal payments linked to the BC Rail corruption trial.