Auditor General #2

NS: Auditor blasts government for deficiencies, policy of secrecy
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Daily Business Buzz, June 2, 2010

[HALIFAX, NS] — Today, auditor general Jacques Lapointe released a five-chapter report covering audits completed in the fall of 2009 and winter 2010. In it, he cited some serious deficiencies in the operations of government, but his harshest criticism was directed at what he called “government’s pervasive policy of secrecy — consistently hiding information from the Office of the Auditor General.”

The government withheld more than 200 documents related to business loans and other financial assistance provided through Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) and the Industrial Expansion Fund (IEF), citing cabinet confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege.

In response, Lapointe denied an opinion on his audit of the operations of NSBI and the IEF, and pointed out that denial of an audit opinion is the most severe audit sanction available to him.

“We have no way of knowing whether these two financial entities — responsible for the distribution of millions of dollars of loans and other financial aid and incentives — have appropriate financial or program controls in place to protect the public funds they disburse or are operating in compliance with legislation, regulations and policies.”

A second audit covered in the report was hampered by the same restrictions on information, Lapointe said. The Department of Health, under instruction from the Executive Council Office, refused to provide information on budget requests related to mental health services.

The auditor general also said the Health Department is failing its legislative responsibility to monitor and evaluate the quality of mental health services across the province and has no plan to achieve compliance with its own mental health service standards.

His report concludes that the lack of effective oversight and the failure to comply with standards significantly increase the risk of creating a disjointed mental health care system that fails the people who need it most.

The Department of Health accepted all 19 recommendations the auditor general made to improve mental health care services. However, Lapointe said the government has a poor record in implementing his recommendations.

Of 82 recommended efficiencies and service improvements the auditor general made in his June 2007 report, the government has implemented just 27 per cent.

“This is the worst performance since we began tracking government response to our recommendations in 2002.”

The Department of Health figured prominently in that June 2007 report and was the subject of 48 recommendations of which 13 have been implemented, leaving 34, or 71 per cent, outstanding.

The June 2010 report included the results of an audit of the Environment Department’s management of contaminated sites across the province, and concluded that the risks associated with these sites are not being adequately managed to protect the public interest.

“The department is aware of sites that may pose a risk, but has taken no action to deal with them and it is aware of sites that have not been cleaned up that may pose an unacceptable risk to third parties, health or the environment. We made 17 recommendations to correct flaws and improve the management of environmental and health risks.”

The complete report and related documents are available online at www.oag-ns.ca .

Auditor General #1

NS: Province agrees to give auditor general more access
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Daily Business Buzz, June 2, 2010

[HALIFAX, NS] — In response to the auditor general’s report released today, Finance Minister Graham Steele says the province plans to introduce legislation this fall that will provide the auditor general with more access to government documents protected by cabinet and solicitor-client privilege.

“Clearly, the government and the auditor general both want the same thing,” said Steele. “This is a complex issue that will take time to resolve. Discussions with the auditor general will continue this summer with the goal of introducing legislation in the fall. That legislation will allow the auditor general to access the documents he requires to complete his audits.”

Steele said the government wants to provide the access sought by the auditor general while, at the same time, putting in place protections that ensure the auditor general cannot be compelled to release cabinet documents and information protected by solicitor-client privilege to outside parties.

“We will ensure that the auditor general can effectively and efficiently carry out his duties under the act while at the same time protecting the ability of cabinet, departments and government agencies, boards and commissions to receive the best advice.”

The government plans to adopt a similar approach to other jurisdictions to ensure the auditor general has access to information. This will be accomplished through a limited waiver that extends cabinet and solicitor client privilege to the auditor general. This approach will ensure the auditor general is not compelled to release privileged documents.

These Boots are Made for Walking

Digby a stop on 3000-kilometre walk
Emily Forrest.
Published on May 27th, 2010
Emily Forrest plans to walk into Digby on June 1 as she makes her way around Nova Scotia’s 3,000-kilometre coastline of Nova Scotia this spring and summer.

Topics : Brigadoon , Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia , Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion , Nova Scotia , Nova Scotians , Sydney
The 88-day trek, which she calls Forrest Walkabout, is meant to raise awareness of Brigadoon, a camp for children with chronic illness, and also the Heart & Stroke Walkabout.

"I invite all Nova Scotians to join the www.walkaboutns.ca website, start logging their steps, and to arrange to meet and walk with me when I come to their area, joining me for as long or as short a distance as they like," Forrest said.

"I want to remind folks how essentially healthy and enjoyable walking in their communities can be."

Brigadoon is a not-for-profit, year-round residential camp facility being built in Nova Scotia for children and youth living with a chronic illness.

Heart and Stroke Walkabout is an initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection, and the Ecology Action Centre to work towards a revitalized culture of walking in Nova Scotia.

"We are especially pleased that Emily will be promoting the Walkabout Program as she circumnavigates Nova Scotia and we feel that Emily's journey is a perfect opportunity to motivate more Nova Scotians to incorporate walking into their daily lives," says Melinda Norris, Walkabout project manager with the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Forrest will continue along Tourism Nova Scotia's Scenic Travelways, reaching Digby on June 1, Truro on June 12, and Sydney by July 16. For details on all daily walking routes, to contact Emily, for more information on the project or how to make a donation, Google ‘Forrest Walkabout’.

For information about Brigadoon, visit www.brigadoonvillage.org

Choral Festival

Choral festival soars to a closing note at St. Bernard
Malcolm Bradley conducts the 120-voice mass choir at the High Cs Festival choral concert in St. Bernard. Karla Kelly photo
Published on May 30th, 2010
Published on May 30th, 2010
By Karla Kelly FOR THE DIGBY COURIER NovaNewsNow.com

Topics : Saint Bernard Church , Summerside Community Choir , Dartmouth Community Singers , New York , Atlantic Canada , Berwick
The third annual High Cs and Digby Choral Festival ended on a high note May 23 with a choral concert featuring the mass choir of 120 singers at the acoustically renowned Saint Bernard Church in St. Bernard.

The concert also highlighted the choir Les Voix Dans L’Vent from Clare and the Summerside Community Choir from Prince Edward Island.

Malcolm Bradley, conductor of the Dartmouth Community Singers and Grace United Church Choir, was artistic director for the weekend festival, as well as conductor for the performance at St. Bernard.



View the gallery
Richard Probert, music director of the Sackets Vocal Arts Ensemble in New York, taught a master class in English diction in choral singing.

Festival director Richard Treleaven said the weekend was a great success and it was a pleasure listening to the concert Sunday night.

“Listening to a great concert with three choirs was a pleasure and bringing the mass choir together was a masterful feat on the part of the conductor,” said Treleaven.

The festival was not intended to be an all work and no play event for the choristers. - Festival director Richard Treleaven
“What was even more fun was watching the mass choir come together in the relaxed atmosphere we tried to create. The festival was not intended to be an all work and no play event for the choristers and I believe we were successful in accomplishing that.”