Office of the Auditor General Manitoba explained

Post:Auditor General of Manitoba
Incumbent:Tyson Shtykalo
Precursor:Provincial Auditor (1969–2001)
Constituting Instrument:Auditor General Act
Reports To:Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Termlength:10 years
Appointer:Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council
Incumbentsince:2020
Agency Name:Office of the Auditor General of Manitoba
Native Name:French: Bureau du verificauteur general du Manitoba
Type:office
Preceding1:Audit Office (1876–1916)
Preceding2:Office of the Comptroller-General (1916–69)
Preceding3:Office of the Provincial Auditor (1969–2001)
Headquarters:330 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB
Employees:over 55
Website:https://www.oag.mb.ca/

The Office of the Auditor General Manitoba—known as the Audit Office (1876–1916), Office of the Comptroller-General (1916–69), and Office of the Provincial Auditor (1969–2001)—is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba whose stated purpose is to assist Members of the Legislative Assembly with matters such as accountability and the performance of government.

Leading the office, as per The Auditor General Act, is the auditor general of Manitoba, who provides the Legislative Assembly with independent information, advice, and assurance. Appointed by a resolution of the Assembly for a 10-year term, the auditor general can only be removed by a vote of two-thirds of the Assembly. The auditor general is authorized to conduct audits of financial statements and operations of government and government organizations.[1] [2]

The current auditor general of Manitoba is Tyson Shtykalo.

History

Manitoba's Audit Office was established in 1885 to provide increased accountability over the provincial government's use of public funds and served as a centralized agency for the examination of provincial accounts. In 1876, Alexander Begg was appointed as Manitoba's first provincial auditor, in charge of heading the Audit Office. The provincial auditor was appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council to audit all accounts of expenditure and receipt maintained by the government, and to report all findings to the Legislative Assembly. Though it reported directly to cabinet, the office was, for administrative purposes, placed under the authority of the provincial treasurer.[3]

Reporting directly to the Department of the Provincial Treasurer, the Comptrolling and Audit Branch (or, Office of the Comptroller-General) was established in 1916 and assumed the functions of the Audit Office.[4] The Branch was formed by an amendment to The Treasury Act that stipulated the need for greater security concerning the expenditure of public funds and for a more efficient means of keeping public accounts. This followed the findings of the 1916 Mathers Inquiry, a royal commission into government misuse of public funds related to the construction of the new Legislative Building (a scandal that resulted in the resignation of Premier Rodmond Roblin).[5]

The Branch amalgamated the functions of the former Audit Office with several comptrolling functions that were previously attached to the Office of the Provincial Treasurer into a centralized, quasi-independent entity that reported directly to both Executive Council and the Provincial Treasurer. The Branch divided its auditing functions between the offices of the Auditor of Revenue, the Auditor of Disbursements, and the Auditor of Purchases, which were overseen by an appointed comptroller-general. The comptroller-general directed the overall auditing of receipts and expenditures made by the Government of Manitoba and was also responsible for preparing all government cheques prior to their issuance by the provincial treasurer.

In 1969, the Comptrolling and Audit Branch was dismantled following the reorganization of the Treasury Department with its comptrolling responsibilities taken by the Comptroller Division of the new Department of Finance and its auditing functions being assumed by the Office of the Provincial Auditor. This provincial auditor's office was established by The Provincial Auditor Act, which provided for the creation of a self-regulating, quasi-judicial agency responsible for the provision of auditing services to the provincial government.

The title eventually changed to auditor general in 2002 with The Auditor General Act (2001).[6] [7]

List of auditors general

Appointed in 1876, Alexander Begg was Manitoba's first provincial auditor. The title of this position was later changed to comptroller general, eventually changing back to Provincial Auditor, and finally to auditor general in 2002.

NameIn office
Provincial auditor
Alexander Begg1876 – 1879
Walter R. Nursey1879 – 1888
George Black1888 - 1916
Comptroller-general
J. Gordon Steele1916 – 1921
Robert Drummond1921 – 1932
J.C.M. Ligertwood1932 – 1936
F.B. Brisbin1936 – 1938
C.A. Glover1938 – 1944
George D. Iliffe1944 – 1966
James G. McFee1966 – 1969
Provincial auditor
James G. McFee1969 – 1972
W.K. (Bill) Ziprick1972 – 1985
Fred H. Jackson1985 – 1992
Carol Bellringer1992 – 1996
Jon W. Singleton1996 – 2002
Auditor general
Jon W. Singleton2002 – 2006
Carol Bellringer2006 – 2014
Norm Ricard2014 – 2020
Tyson Shtykalo2020 – incumbent

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Us. 2021-05-08. Office of the Auditor General Manitoba. en-US.
  2. "Office of the Auditor General." Archives of Manitoba.
  3. "Audit Office." Archives of Manitoba.
  4. "Comptrolling and Audit Branch."
  5. "The History", at the Legislative Tour, Province of Manitoba.
  6. The Auditor General Act
  7. Web site: History. 2021-05-08. Office of the Auditor General Manitoba. en-US.