Former Alberta auditor general explains review process amid AHS probe
Merwan Saher says complex investigations could take 6 months or more
Former auditor general Merwan Saher says though the public may have a desire for instant information in a probe tied to Alberta Health Services, results of a promised review may still be months away.
Last week, Alberta's current auditor general, Doug Wylie, launched an investigation into procurement and contracting processes within AHS.
On Wednesday, Athana Mentzelopoulos, the former CEO of the agency, filed a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against AHS and the province. She alleged multiple government officials applied "influence and pressure" on her to extend contracts and sign others with a private health-care provider.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and a statement of defence has not yet been filed.
The auditor general of Alberta is an independent watchdog who examines how the government is managing its resources and responsibilities. On the office's website, the auditor states its goal is to ensure that "public money is properly accounted for and provides value."
Saher served in that role from 2010 until 2018. Among his reports was one that found that former Alberta premier Alison Redford and her office used taxpayer money "inappropriately," flying on government planes for "personal and partisan purposes."
In an interview, Saher said it's dangerous to make comparisons to past reviews when the subject matter is not the same.
But the review into Redford and her office was extensive, he said, involving numerous interviews and a thorough review of expenses, with auditors ensuring all findings were backed by multiple sources of evidence.
"For this work to be credible, and the Office of the Auditor General prides itself on its credibility, [it] will take time," Saher said.
"The timing is wholly dependent on the subject matter … [this review] could be quite short, and by short, I mean one or two months. Or it could take a long time. Anything up to six months or more."
Request for an expedited review
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she was not involved in any wrongdoing and would ask the current auditor general for an "expedited" review.
But the timeline will play out at Wylie's discretion, Saher said.
The current auditor general will have two options: include the review as part of his next annual report, or prepare a special report on a matter of importance or urgency.
Generally speaking, those who are the subject of the audit will "have sight of what's written" before it's publicly released, Saher said.
"That's part of an audit process, which allows those who are being reported on to, even at a late stage, say you haven't got all of the evidence you need," he said.
"For example, hypothetically, we think your conclusions are invalid because you've not looked at this, or nobody told you about that."
When the auditor general is ready to make a public report, it's generally made available to the speaker of the assembly, who has an obligation, generally within three days, to distribute the report to members of the assembly.
That's how the report is made public. Once that's done, the auditor general can talk publicly about the work.
As for how much influence the government of the day has on the report once it's concluded?
"From my point of view, speaking as an auditor general, zero," Saher said.
"The audit report is the product of the evidence gathered by an independent party. And the evidence speaks for itself … there's no ability for the audited party to say, 'Well, I sort of disagree with you, please don't make this public,' or even attempt to tell you not to make it public. That's just not a feature."
Previous notable reports
Saher's review into Redford tied together various details into one big package, said Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Redford resigned as premier in 2014.
Outside of Alberta, other high-stake auditor general reviews include the federal sponsorship scandal, which then-auditor general Sheila Fraser characterized as a "blatant misuse of public funds."
"The problem is the companies that they used, these advertising firms, kick back some of that money to the Liberal Party of Canada, and that's where the scandal kicked in," Bratt said.
"It wasn't just the policy, whether money was wasted. It's that money was being recycled back into the party. Once again, the key is, people were getting rich off of the government."
Alberta's auditor general frequently releases new reviews, with subject matter across the spectrum, including probes into highway maintenance, affordable housing and environmental liabilities.
Bratt characterized such releases as "one day" news stories.
"Then, we just move on. But there's certain ones that have legs, and the Redford one does," Bratt said.
As for the review launched by Wylie, Bratt said he believes there will be ongoing public interest.
"They're going to be anticipating it," he said.
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