Description: It certainly is not something we see too often; a former deputy auditor general suing the Office of the Auditor General of New Brunswick for wrongful dismissal. Janice Leahy, New Brunswick’s former deputy auditor general, was let go from her position and replaced, but there has been little, if any, word from the auditor general, Paul Martin, about this matter or why such a large percentage of his staff have left the office in the last 12 months. Leahy’s claim states the “termination was retaliatory in nature given the positions taken by the plaintiff.” But details are scant, and the public, as well as the auditor general’s clients, the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), may have to wait until the courts come forward with more detail in order to better understand the situation.

Date:  December 5, 2023

Source:  cbc.ca

 Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/auditor-general-former-deputy-firing-1.7048476

Discussion points:

1) Have you ever seen a case where an auditor general’s office was sued?

2) If your were an advisor to a MLA who was relying on the auditor general’s reporting to do their job, what might you recommend to get a better picture of what was happening?

3) Pages 10-9 through 10-11 of Wiley’s Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision-Making discusses accounting for provisions and contingent liabilities. What type of disclosure, if any, do you think the Office of the Auditor General of New Brunswick should include in its financial reporting regarding this lawsuit?