B.C. to limit new auditor general to single 8-year term

VICTORIA – The B.C. government has introduced legislation that will see the province appoint an auditor general for a single eight-year term.

The current law appoints the auditor general for a six-year term, with the option of reappointing the auditor for another six-year term.

The changes to the Auditor General Act respond to issues that surfaced during the process to find a new auditor general, which included interviewing the current auditor general John Doyle for a reappointment.

An all-party legislative committee originally decided against reappointing Doyle, but after a public outcry and Doyle’s public concern’s about the process, Premier Christy Clark announced she would introduce changes to bring in a single eight-year term.

The amended legislation says the legislature has the power to appoint an acting auditor general if the term of office is set to expire or end in a time period when the legislature is not sitting.

The Speaker of the legislature Bill Barisoff says Doyle has accepted a similar job in Australia and will leave his Victoria post on May 28, 2013.