Fears of government secrecy loom as release of the BC Housing forensic audit is delayed the BC NDP.
Debate of the BC housing forensics audit began in the Legislature on Monday like expect. The BC NDP announced on Friday that it has received the BC Housing forensics report but refused to release it to the public right way despite it being in the public interests.
The BC New Democratic Party is sitting on the forensics audit running it through a process to see how much it can redact.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told reporters Sunday told reporters on Sunday BC NDP government has sat on the report since “a couple of weeks ago.”
The report reviewed hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars that rained down on social housing to uncover the money trail to confirm if it was spent on intended purposes and if there was any losses.
Since the BC NDP announce on Friday the audit was received there has been no dates given when the public can expect to start seeing the report.
BC Liberal/BC United said that Premier David Eby’s refusal to release the BC housing forensics audit raises questions about “what this government is trying to hide.”
Responding to a question of when he will release the BC housing forensics report in the Public Internets. Premier David Eby insists that his government will release “as much as the law allows” and acknowledged “the public needs to know.”
“I read the report,” Kahlon confirmed. “And it is my belief that it’s in the public interest for that to be released with as little redaction as possible.”
Kahlon cited government lawyers saying the “Notice to third parties” process needs to be followed in the Freedom of Information act and individuals or organizations named in the report must be given “the ability to be able to read the report and provide comment before it is released.”
“It depends on how that process goes on but my hope is to have this report released as early as possible,” said the housing minister. “If we hear back that there’s no concerns, then we’ll release the report without any redactions.”
While the BC Liberals/BC United argue the audit is in the Public interest, Eby acknowledged “the public needs to know” and Kahlon admitted the audit is in the Public Interest.
It appears all parties agree the audit falls within Public Interests and the public deserves transparency. Premier David Eby said “the public needs to know” but he refuses to release the BC Housing forensics audit despite the FOI giving him the authority to do so without redactions today.
BC Liberals pointed out provisions in the Freedom of Information Act that allows the premier to release the BC Housing forensic audit right away fully transparent unredacted in the public interest.
BC Liberal MLA Michael de Jong said in section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act it “says very clearly that when it is in the public interest when there is information about the health or safety of the public or a group of people or the disclosure disclosure of which for any other reason is clearly in the public interest that the government and the minister can proactively and immediately release that information the simple the simple” which BC Rise mentioned in an article early Monday morning.
Freedom of Information Act Section 25 as it’s written:
In Division 4 — Public Interest Paramount of the Act it says “Information must be disclosed if in the public interest because it’s in the Public Interest”
It goes on to say “Whether or not a request for access is made, the head of a public body must, without delay, disclose to the public, to an affected group of people or to an applicant, information – the disclosure of which is, for any other reason, clearly in the public interest.”
Third parties are not required to be notified before information is released if it’s in the public interest.
Why the suspicions of government secrecy?
The BC Liberals said the public has noticed the safety and health risks of tent cities is getting worse not better.
British Columbians have become skeptical of the BC NDP because of all the delays and secrecy surrounding the B.C. Housing problem.
Eby was serving his six month after being appointed as BC Housing minister shortly after the beginning of John Horgan’s second term as Premier when he requested a review into B.C. Housing’s operations and financial controls.
The first audit by Ernst and Young was delivered in May of last year the detailed an alarming amount of mismanagement at the agency the BC NDP task to manage it ambitious $7 billion social housing plan.
Eby hid the report from the public and official opposition for two months before quietly releasing it on a government site on on June 30 while everyone was starting to focus on the long weekend.
A week later the activist directors at BC Housing got the boot. Eby used the words they were “pushed out” instead of fired the board. They were originally appointed to their positions by the previous BC NDP minister of housing Selina Robinson. The decision was announce on a Friday evening.
Eby then commissioned the BC Housing forensic audit and neglected to inform the public. Shortly after he stepped down as the housing minister to run for the BC NDP leadership.
Eventually Eby acknowledge the existence of the forensics audit after he be came Premier inheriting a BC NDP majority government.
The auditors were directed to investigate seven years of BC Housing when spending went from tens of millions dollars annually with the BC Liberals to the current staggering $2.2 billion per year under the BC NDP.
Ernst and Young was given the scope to investigate the following:
- To “provide sufficient evidence to confirm or dispel the issues set out in the earlier assessment” by Ernst and Young.
- To “quantify any financial loss the province of B.C. may have incurred and identify whether public money has been applied for the purpose for which it was provided to B.C. Housing.”
- “Undertake a risk-based analysis of cash outflows to selected housing providers and perform limited data analytic procedures on other payments made by B.C. Housing, considering potential fraud risks faced by the organization.”
- The auditors were directed to “evaluate B.C. Housing’s record-keeping and decision-making for financial transactions entered into with the society.”
- “Evaluate if the society used grants or advances of public money, or the borrowings of which may be guaranteed by the government of B.C., for their required purposes.”
