Public Accounts Committee

Public Accounts Committee

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Public Accounts Committee, Parliamentary committees
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The following Ministers of Parliament are members of the Public Accounts Committee (PACP) the House committee responsible for protecting the public purse, and for the legislative aspects of the whistleblower protection system.

This committee was the recipient of the Auditor General's report following her investigation into the conduct of commissioner Christiane Ouimet.

Public Accounts Committees Shouldn’t Go In-Camera. It’s Not Right.

Sujets: 
Government transparency, Public Accounts Committee
Scores: 
4
David Christopherson

Unique status and role of Public Accounts Committee needs to be shielded from raw politics



Geoff Dubrow – October 31, 2011

When the pundits start weighing in on the machinations of the Public Accounts Committee, it’s usually a bad sign (See The Hill Times, Spin Doctors, Oct. 17, p. 22). As the audit committee of the legislature, the Public Accounts Committee is mandated to review reports of the auditor general, and is supposed to function in a manner less partisan than other committees.

That is certainly the case in other prominent legislatures. In the U.K., government and opposition members often collaborate in questioning accounting officers appearing before the Public Accounts Committee; in the Quebec National Assembly, federalists and separatists put aside their varying political viewpoints and work almost entirely by consensus. 

CBC Radio: Parliamentary committees' secret decisions behind closed doors

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee, Audio, Auditor General
Scores: 
0

CBC Radio – October 6, 2011

Now that it has a majority on the Parliamentary committees, the government is exercising its newfound muscle: forcing the committees to meet in secret, then voting down routine business that might cause embarrassment.

Notably, the Public Accounts committee will no longer follow up on the Auditor General's scathing report on the misconduct of former integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet or explore why Ouimet received a $500,000 government handout when she resigned.

AG reports shelved behind closed doors

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee, Auditor General
Scores: 
5

CBC News – October 6, 2011

Auditor general reports into military helicopter overruns, the former integrity commissioner's half-million dollar severance and mismanaged renovations on Parliament Hill won't be investigated by a House committee after MPs voted not to study them.

CBC News has learned that several auditor general reports will be shelved. And even the decision to keep the reports secret was made behind closed doors, CBC's Karina Roman reports.

Why good organizations do bad things to good people

Sujets: 
Harassment, Reprisals, Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee
Scores: 
5

David Hutton – March 21, 2011

Former integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet's testimony to the House Public Accounts Committee seemed to be all about her: how she was victimized by the auditor general's intensive investigation; how she was forced out of office (with a $500,000 payoff); the damage done to her reputation and her health; and the interruption of her vacation to appear before the committee.

Virtually absent from the discussion were two very important groups of people: the whistleblowers whose cases were routinely rejected under Ouimet's leadership; and the alleged wrongdoers who she so effectively shielded from investigation.

Never told of allegations against me: Ouimet

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee, Auditor General, Christiane Ouimet
Scores: 
0

Former integrity watchdog makes 1st public appearance since resignation, scathing report

Laura Payton – March 10, 2011

The woman whose job it was to protect public servant whistleblowers painted a picture of her own persecution during her time in the role. Christiane Ouimet, the former public sector integrity commissioner, says her office underwent two years of investigation at the hands of Auditor General Sheila Fraser.

"Along the way I never knew what were the issues, what were the allegations," she said. "I was told repeatedly this is a very special audit. We were being treated differently." Ouimet said she can answer every one of Fraser's points, but she didn't respond in the space allowed for her in the audit report.

Embattled former integrity commissioner tells MPs of her flawless work

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee, Auditor General, Christiane Ouimet
Scores: 
3
Christiane Ouimet

Amy Minsky – March 10, 2011

OTTAWA — Disgraced former public sector integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet staunchly defended her time in the job Thursday as she told MPs repeatedly, with pride and conviction, that she executed her job almost without flaw.

After an abrupt resignation followed by months of silence and ignoring or declining requests to appear before MPs, Ouimet sat in front of the House of Commons public accounts committee to answer questions about her controversial $530,000 severance package and the scathing report issued by the auditor general, accusing her of bungling her job.

Disgraced former integrity boss says AG's critical report on her not fair

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Public Accounts Committee, Auditor General, Christiane Ouimet
Scores: 
0

Joan Bryden – March 11, 2011

OTTAWA - Disgraced former integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet cast herself on Thursday as the victim of a smear campaign by a handful of malcontented former staffers and a witch hunt by an over-zealous auditor general.

As for the $500,000-plus pay-out she received from the government to resign quietly, Ouimet depicted that as a sacrifice made to protect the reputation of the fledgling Public Sector Integrity Commissioner's (PSIC) office.

Christiane Ouimet's testimony to Public Accounts committee

Sujets: 
Integrity Commissioner, Videos, Public Accounts Committee, Testimony, Christiane Ouimet
Scores: 
0
Christiane Ouimet

March 10, 2011

Former integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet testifies before the Public Accounts committee, which is looking into the Auditor General's scathing report on Ouimet's conduct.
(1 hr 57 min)

In her testimony Ouimet claimed that the Auditor General's report was completely wrong, that she (Ouimet) had been victimized by this intense audit of her office, and that she was confident that she had always done the right thing. When questioned about her $500,000 settlement package she said that she was given a non-negotiable offer and felt that she had no choice but to accept it.

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