OTTAWA - The federal government is preparing to hire 300 new auditors to help update oversight measures that it acknowledges are archaic and dysfunctional.

The move will almost double the number of government auditors and offer a badly needed transparency boost, says Treasury Board President Reg Alcock.

Details of the beefed-up role for auditors will be announced in coming weeks, Alcock said in an interview.

"We've built an incredibly rigorous internal audit system for government that we're rolling out shortly," he said.

"We'll get better risk analysis, earlier and more timely identification of problems, and better response capability."

The Liberal government has made several changes to its management systems after coming under sustained attack over spending scandals.

Alcock agrees it's time for a change - because government accountability mechanisms are disastrously out of date.
He cites stunning examples of the time required to respond to seemingly simple questions:

-- The government has spent more than a year trying to calculate how much it spends on aboriginal issues, and how many departments work on aboriginal-related files.

Auditor-General Sheila Fraser asked in a February 2004 report what the spending total was for 10 departments handling aboriginal issues. In the 18 months since, the government has determined that 32 departments are actually involved, and federal auditors are only now finalizing the dollar figure.

-- Remember the so-called "billion-dollar boondoggle" in Human Resources Development Canada? Alcock says it cost $4 million to investigate the scandal - only to learn that $65,000 went missing.

The minister at the time, Jane Stewart, was hammered day after day by accusations that she was hiding answers about missing funds. But the truth is that even she couldn't get answers, Alcock said.

"The systems are just that bad."

Following the sponsorship scandal the Martin government announced it would re-establish the position of comptroller general to oversee spending in every department.

That new comptroller, Charles-Antoine St-Jean, will have assistants in each government department. The 300 new auditors - added to 400 currently on staff - will supply comptrollers with information and monitor spending.

Alcock didn't say how much the new auditors would cost. But a team of 300 auditors with average salaries of $60,000 would cost $18 million annually.

The Martin government has also created a new ethics commissioner's office, adopted a code of conduct for ministers and changed the appointment process for the heads of Crown corporations.

Alcock says poor information-sharing in government dates back to a 19th century culture of erecting barriers to maintain independence between politicians and the civil service.

But if he's frustrated with the quality of government accountability he also has a bone to pick with the opposition.
He blames Conservative scandal-mongering for making it more difficult to recruit talented individuals to the civil service.

The daily attacks in question period are scaring people away from the public service, he said.

"I am fed up. I've had it with the way this stuff goes on," he said last week.

The Liberals have found themselves embroiled in scandal again over the spending and lobbying habits of David Dingwall, who resigned last week as head of the Royal Canadian Mint.

They also came under attack for hiring the former head of the scandal-ridden gun registry to lead an ambitious new project.

Maryantonett Flumian, who was chief executive of the $1-billion gun registry program, is now in charge of a one-stop shop for federal services available by dialling 1-800-O Canada.

The Tories lambasted the government over Flumian's appointment.

Alcock said unwarranted attacks in federal politics are pushing many talented people to the private sector or provincial governments.

"(Why would anyone) come in here and be publicly vilified by the House? It hurts us. It hurts us badly," Alcock said.

"I have no problem with (Conservative Leader Stephen) Harper criticizing me on any day of the week - I'll argue and defend myself.

"(But) to run around willingly attacking people . . . there comes a point where you devalue public management."

The Tories scoffed at Alcock's accusation and called the Liberals a government "awash in dishonesty."

"If there weren't so many scandals we wouldn't need so many auditors," said Conservative spokesman William Stairs.
"Our job is to hold the government accountable. If we're talking about this in the House of Commons it's because these scandals are continuously coming to light.

"It's our duty."