Public Accounts Committee Update

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The Standing Committee on Public Accounts of the 34th Yukon Legislative Assembly met virtually on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Meeting Minutes

The committee adopted a motion to release future committee minutes following their approval. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts agreed:
“THAT from May 6, 2020, forward, minutes from committee meetings be made public once they have been approved by the committee; and 
THAT minutes shared with the public include meeting times, attendance, topics or agenda items, and decisions made (motions adopted).”

Committee Reports 

The committee is releasing two reports (Fifth Report and Sixth Report). These reports are available on the committee’s webpage: https://yukonassembly.ca/committees/pac 

Report on Yukon Public Account 2018-19

The committee’s Fifth Report addresses the government’s financial statements and makes three recommendations:
Recommendation No. 1: THAT the Department of Finance expand the “Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis” section of the Yukon Public Accounts and include further explanation such as a discussion on key risks and government measures to mitigate identified risks.
Recommendation No. 2: THAT the Department of Finance digitize the Yukon Public Accounts, and THAT the Department of Finance provide the Standing Committee on Public Accounts with a timeline for implementation and anticipated costs.
Recommendation No. 3: THAT the Department of Finance continue discussions with the consolidated entities and with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada to identify and address issues necessary to facilitate earlier tabling of the Yukon Public Accounts.

Report on Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education in Yukon

The subject of the committee’s Sixth Report is the Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Yukon Legislative Assembly — 2019: Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education in Yukon — Department of Education, which was released on June 18, 2019. The committee accepts and endorses the recommendations made by the Auditor General. The committee believes that the Department of Education has seriously considered the recommendations and is taking action to deal with the problems identified by the audit.

Committee Proceedings during COVID-19 Pandemic

The committee determined that looking at current government spending and the government response to COVID-19 is not within the committee’s mandate. Pursuant to Standing Order 45(3) the Standing Committee on Public Accounts is responsible for reviewing the Public Accounts and all reports of the Auditor General.