Alberta government ignores AG’s offer to stay on 2 more years, starts search for replacement

UCP MLAs who make up the majority on an Alberta legislature committee passed a motion Monday to begin the search for a new auditor general even though the person currently occupying the role offered to stay on for two more years. 

In an interview with CBC News, Doug Wylie confirmed he would like to work another two years to oversee the completion and release of the investigation into procurement of private surgical facilities at Alberta Health Services and help his successor transition to the position. 

“I felt it was useful for the office and useful for the projects of the office for me to be here for another two years to see this work through,” Wylie said. 

“The committee disagrees. That's their choice. I'm not going to argue with them. The decision is made.”

Wylie’s eight-year term concludes on April 28. He said interviews are still underway for the health procurement investigation but his office hopes to wrap up the report before the end of his term. 

“I wanted to see that project through to conclusion and [to be the one] publicly reporting that piece,” Wylie said. 

“I was not seeking reappointment for a full eight (years). I was seeking an extension for two [years] to deal with the transition.” 

The motion to begin a search for an auditor general was passed by the five UCP MLAs who make up the majority on the standing committee on legislative offices that overseas the office of the auditor general, the chief electoral officer, the ombudsman and public interest commissioner, the ethics commissioner and the information and privacy commissioner. 

Committee member Scott Cyr, who is the MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul, introduced the motion to set up an auditor general search committee near the end of a contentious meeting. 

Cyr, and four of his UCP MLA colleagues — Nolan Dyck from Grande Prairie, Chelsae Petrovic from Livingstone-Macleod, Jackie Lovely from Camrose and Chantelle de Jonge from Chestermere-Strathmore — voted in favour of the motion. 

The four NDP MLAs on the committee — David Shepherd from Edmonton-City Centre, Amanda Chapman from Calgary-Beddington, Rob Miyashiro from Lethbridge West and Peggy Wright from Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview  — voted against the motion which will now go to the legislative assembly for a final vote. 

Cyr told the committee there was nothing stopping Wylie from applying for the job again. Shepherd told reporters afterwards that was an insulting suggestion. 

“It's the government saying, ‘Hey, no, we don't like you enough to actually just extend your contract,’” he said. “‘We'd rather go through an extensive process, look at a whole bunch of other people and see if maybe we think you're good enough.’

“This is the government choosing to fire, to remove the individual that is currently investigating them in one of the most serious scandals, some of the most serious allegations we've ever seen against an Alberta government.”