Auditor General tears into Alberta UCP over lack of data on how $4B was spent during pandemic

Alberta’s New Democrats are demanding to know where the cash is after Auditor General Doug Wylie says he doesn’t understand what the United Conservative government spent $4 billion dollars on when it comes to COVID-19-related programs.

“Meaningful results analyses in annual reports is critical for the government to show it is accountable to Albertans. Without effective COVID-19 reporting, readers cannot tell what the government achieved in spending $4 billion on programs to help Albertans during the pandemic, especially our children, seniors, and other vulnerable people,” Wylie’s report read.

He explains that ministries haven’t provided proper reporting on where that money went and how it was used.

Wylie listed several examples for instance, while the Health Ministry disclosed the number of personal protective equipment and rapid tests it handed out, it did not disclose how much it spent on each.

He also mentions the Health Ministry did not explain what it achieved when it spent $260 million to ‘protect staff and residents in long-term care,’ or how many vaccines it received from the federal government.

The NDP say they want to launch a public inquiry into where that money went and account for every taxpayer dollar.

“Alberta, we will find your $4 billion, because Albertans deserve a government that respects our tax dollars, that tracks our progress, that fixes its mistakes, that owns them, that knows where and how every penny is spent to make people’s lives better,” NDP Finance Critic Shannon Phillips said Thursday.

“I would argue that during a pandemic, the money that you are spending to keep students, and seniors, and all of us safe is the ultimate responsibility of government, and in that, this report shows they failed,” said Phillips.

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She also took aim at former finance minister Travis Toews, who is now running to replace Jason Kenney as UCP leader.

“Travis is no fiscal genius, he’s just as unaccountable and untrustworthy as Jason Kenney,” Phillips said.

“This is the definition of gross incompetence.”

In a statement to CityNews, Toews fired back.

“Rachel Notley shows herself unaware of the Auditor General’s actual finding and has to correct herself after misrepresenting the facts. The truth is that unlike when the NDP were in office, Alberta now has, not only a balanced budget, but a massive surplus for the benefit of Albertans,” his statement read.

“Under my leadership as Premier, you’ll continue to see Alberta’s books balanced, economy growing and government transparent – unlike under Rachel Notley’s NDP.”