Below are our most recent news releases. If you are looking for older releases, you can find them with the corresponding report under Publications.
March 2024
March 19 - Two harm reduction programs not effectively implemented, audits find
Related Report - B.C.’s Toxic Drug Crisis: Implementation of Harm Reduction Programs
March 11 – After the audit: Three concerns with government financial reporting
Related Report – The Audit of B.C.’s 2022/23 Summary Financial Statements: Areas of Interest
February 2024
February 27 – Audit finds deficiencies in B.C.’s overall management of hazardous spills
Related Report – Managing Hazardous Spills in B.C.
December 2023
December 4 – Three-year plan set for public sector financial audits
Related Report – Financial Statement Audit Coverage Plan for financial statement fiscal years ending in 2025, 2026, and 2027
November 2023
November 28 – Auditor general’s report informs discussion on the province’s annual Summary Financial Statements
Related Report – Summary Financial Statements Audit: Supporting the Role of MLAs
August 2023
August 31 – Audit raises concerns with parts of Province’s summary financial statements
August 1 – VIU’s board of governors falls short in oversight of cybersecurity risk management
Related Report - Board Oversight of Cybersecurity Risk Management at Vancouver Island University
July 2023
July 25 – Government organizations give progress reports on audit recommendations
Related Report - Annual Follow-up Report: Status of Performance Audit Recommendations (2019 – 2021)
May 2023
May 29 – $41-million COVID economic aid program for the tourism sector met most guidelines
Related Report – B.C.’s COVID-19 Response: Destination Development Grants
May 2 – Fraud reported by nearly half of B.C. government ministries
Related report – Fraud Risk and Financial Statements: B.C. Public Sector, Part 2
March 2023
March 14 – Governance of the public service’s diversity and inclusion strategy is missing important pieces
Related report – Governance of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for the B.C. Public Service
March 7 – Public sector organization don't appear to be using all fraud risk management tools available
Related report – Fraud Risk and Financial Statements: B.C. Public Sector, Part 1
February 2023
February 16 – Health ministry able to monitor COVID vaccinations, with some gaps and risks found
Related report – B.C.'s COVID-19 Response: Monitoring Vaccination Coverage
February 9 – PHSA did not consistently provide access to mental health, substance use services for Indigenous people in B.C. correctional centres
Related report – Mental Health and Substance Use Services for Indigenous People in B.C. Correctional Centres
February 7 – Three-year audit plan approved for B.C. public sector organizations
Related report – Financial Statement Audit Coverage Plan for financial statement fiscal years ending in 2024, 2025, and 2026
November 2022
November 22 – Auditor General’s Report Highlights Government’s Inaccurate Financial Reporting, Rising Disaster Costs and COVID-19 Benefit Recoveries
Related Report – Report on the Financial Audit Work: Fiscal Year 2021/22
August 2022
August 31 – Audit opinion outlines concerns in Province’s summary financial statements
June 2022
June 28 –- B.C.’s COVID-19 economic response: community grant delivery met most expectations
Related Report – B.C.’s COVID-19 Response: Community Economic Resilience Grants
June 21 – Audit finds improved ministry oversight for major mines, with exceptions
Related Report – Oversight of Major Mines: Policies and Procedures to Address Environmental Risks
April 2022
April 26 - Auditor General: BC Hydro can improve fraud risk management of the estimated $16-billion Site C project
Related Report – Fraud Risk Management: Site C Dam and Hydroelectric Energy Project
March 2022
March 30 – Annual plan charts course for more than 140 public sector audits
Related Report – Financial Statement Audit Coverage Plan for fiscal years ending in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (March 29)
March 29 – Rapid growth of government’s remote workforce has effective cybersecurity tools – audit
Related Report – Managing Cybersecurity in the Telework Environment
March 15 – BC Housing effectively managed, with some exceptions, pandemic support for women leaving violence – audit
Related Report – BC Housing’s COVID-19 Response: Additional Safe Spaces for Women and Children Leaving Violence
March 8 – Government's fraud risk management well underway – more to be done
Related Report – Fraud Risk Management: Office of the Comptroller General
March 1 – Audit finds BC Housing’s COVID-19 property purchases met required approvals, policies
Related Report – BC Housing’s COVID-19 Response: Property Purchases
November 2021
November 16 - Northern B.C. still waiting for a long-term transportation plan
Related Report - Ensuring Long-distance Ground Transportation in Northern B.C.
November 2 - Many B.C. public sector organizations not using all fraud defences available
Related Report - Fraud Risk Management Survey Report
October 2021
October 26 - COVID-19 programs, $6 billion disagreement, $550 million in errors impacting deficit corrected, and $850 million sale of St. Paul’s Hospital highlighted in new report
Related Report - Auditor General’s Report on the Audit of the Public Accounts – Fiscal 2020/21
September 2021
September 14 - B.C. not effectively overseeing the safety of dams
Related Report - Oversight of Dam Safety in British Columbia
August 2021
August 10 - Auditor general releases report on Connecting British Columbia
Related Report - Update on the Connecting British Columbia Program
August 6 - Office of the Auditor General of B.C. Announces New Deputy
June 2021
June 15 - Community Living BC not effectively monitoring home sharing
Related Report - Community Living BC’s Framework for Monitoring Home Sharing Providers
May 2021
May 11 - B.C. not effectively managing Conservation Lands Program
Related Report - Management of the Conservation Lands Program
April 2021
April 27 - Province doing a good job of managing its avalanche safety program, but improvements can be made
Related Report - Avalanche Safety on Provincial Highways
March 2021
March 30 - New auditor general status report provides updates for changes to upcoming audits
Related Report - Auditor General's Status Report
March 16 - Auditor general releases performance audit coverage plan, announces upcoming work
Related Report - Performance Audit Coverage Plan 2021/22 to 2022/23
March 9 - Vancouver Community College’s executive compensation disclosures comply with government’s requirements
Related Report - Vancouver Community College: Executive Compensation Disclosures Audit
March 2 - Government should follow generally accepted accounting principles, says new auditor general report
Related Report - Report on Financial Audit Work for the 2019/20 Fiscal Year
February 2021
February 9 - Provincial Health Services Authority lacking cybersecurity controls for medical devices, possibly putting patients at risk
Related Report - Management of Medical Device Cybersecurity at the Provincial Health Services Authority
February 8 - Auditor general releases annual financial statement audit coverage plan
Related Report - Financial Statement Audit Coverage Plan for fiscal years ending in 2022, 2023 and 2024
January 2021
January 19 - Auditor General reports on forest service roads, IT asset cybersecurity and international education
Related Report - Management of Forest Service Roads
Related Report - IT Asset Management in B.C. Government
Related Report - Oversight of International Education Programs in Offshore and Group 4 Schools
September 2020
September 11 - Auditor general releases report on COVID-19 spending commitments, relief measures
Related Report - Summary of COVID-19 Pandemic Funding Allocations and Other Financial Relief Measures
July 2020
July 29 - Michael Pickup sworn in as British Columbia’s new auditor general
June 2020
June 2 - B.C. immigration program helps fill labour gaps, but fraud safeguards need work
Related Report - Skills Immigration Stream of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
October 2019
October 24 - B.C. Sheriff Service working on human resources, more needs to be done
Related Report - Managing Human Resources at the B.C. Sheriff Service
September 2019
September 25 - Statement from the Office of the Auditor General
September 19 - Gaps and weaknesses in policy framework and practices at the Legislative Assembly
Related Report - Expense Policies and Practices in the Offices of the Speaker, Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms
August 2019
August 22 - SD36 managing its executive expenses well
Related Report - Executive Expenses at School District 36
August 13 - Key controls in place to prevent unauthorized access to government systems
Related Report - The B.C. Government’s Internal Directory Account Management
July 2019
July 30 - Ministry of Health, PHO need to do more to ensure safety of drinking water
Related Report - The Protection of Drinking Water
July 19 - Government should follow generally accepted accounting principles
Related Report - Understanding Our Audit Opinion on B.C.’s 2018/19 Summary Financial Statements
July 10 - LDB contract files not in compliance with government policy
Related Report - BC Liquor Distribution Branch Directly Awarded Contracts
June 2019
June 28 - Auditor general outlines performance, goals and priorities
Related Report - Annual Report and Financial Statements 2018/19
June 19 - Government not effectively overseeing contracted residential services
Related Report - Oversight of Contracted Residential Services for Children and Youth in Care
June 18 - New progress audit on education of Indigenous students
Related Report - Progress Audit: The Education of Aboriginal Students in the B.C. Public School System
April 2019
April 17 - BC Hydro could do more to improve cybersecurity on its power system
Related Report - Detection and Response to Cybersecurity Threats on BC Hydro’s Industrial Control Systems
March 2019
March 19 - Auditor General's goals for coming year
Related Report - Service Plan 2019/20 - 2021/22
March 14 - Growing number of unrestored oil and gas sites increases environmental and financial risks
Related report - The BC Oil and Gas Commission’s Management of Non-Operating Oil and Gas Sites
February 2019
February 27 - Patient access to emergency health services needs improvement
Related report - Access to Emergency Health Services
February 26 - Government’s progress since 2015 audit on correctional facilities and programs
Related Report - Progress Audit: Correctional Facilities and Programs
February 6 - Rate-regulated accounting at BC Hydro, explained
Related Report - Rate-regulated Accounting at BC Hydro
January 2019
January 31 - Auditor General releases two reports on program controls
Related Reports - Master Supplier File Maintenance and The Short Term Illness and Injury Plan
January 31 - Auditor General releases list of projects for next three years
Related Reports - Performance Audit Coverage Plan 2019/20 - 2021/22 and Financial Statement Audit Coverage Plan 2019/20 - 2021/22
December 2018
December 11 - Government needs to do much more to ensure commercial vehicle safety
Related Report - An Independent Audit of Commercial Vehicle Safety
December 5 - BC Hydro managing its billions in capital assets well
Related Report - Independent Audit of Capital Asset Management in BC Hydro
October 2018
October 9 - Government can improve its reporting of tax expenditures
Related Report - Understanding Tax Expenditures
August 2018
August 29 - Government should follow generally accepted accounting principles
Related Report - Understanding Our Audit Opinion on B.C.'s 2017/18 Summary Financial Statements