Not Much to Hear

Posted by & filed under Auditing.

Description: Last week this blog spoke of how New Brunswick’s auditor general, Paul Martin, was about to face questions from a legislative committee on why so many staff (over one-third) have been leaving his office since the start of this year. But for Mr. Martin, it does not appear to have been all that much… Read more »

Auditing the Auditor?

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Ethics.

Description: If you are an auditor general, you’re probably used to being the one asking the questions. Auditors general in Canada are generally highly esteemed in the public and the press, and rarely have to face scrutiny of their own. But on September 7 the Auditor General of New Brunswick may face challenging questions from… Read more »

Tax Decisions with Living Together

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Personal Tax.

Description: With tax season in full swing – despite the strike in effect at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) – experts agree that it is important that Canadians know how living together can impact your taxation status. With societal trends indicating that common-law relationships are especially prevalent among those 20-24 years old, many may be… Read more »

Real Estate Regulator Failing

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Auditing.

Description: The auditor general of Ontario has found that the provincial real estate regulator – RECO – is falling down on its job of protecting buyers and sellers. In her value-for-money audit of RECO, auditor general Bonnie Lysyk found various problems with the organization, including a lack of follow-up on consumer complaints and faulty processes… Read more »

Questionable Conduct at Laurentian

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Student life.

Description: In a special report on the Laurentian University financial crisis, Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk showed that senior management at the school erred by declining government assistance and heading straight to bankruptcy. Lysyk found that the Laurentian senior management and board of governors relied on external advisors in opting for the bankruptcy route, rather… Read more »

A Good Month for Jobs

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Canadian Economy, Student life.

Description: October was a good month for the Canadian economy with 108,000 new jobs added, exceeding projections by a factor of ten. Because more Canadians were actually looking for work last month, the unemployment rate remained steady at 5.2%. Despite the good news on the employment front, a higher number of Canadians report having trouble… Read more »

Phoenix Problems Persist

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Canadian Government.

Description: Well, the good news is that only 28% of federal government employees had an error in their pay during the fiscal year ended 31 March 2022. According to the federal auditor general, that is down from 47% in the prior year, indicating that, although results have improved, the maligned Phoenix pay system is far… Read more »

Healthy Food and Nutrition Audit?

Posted by & filed under Auditing.

Description: Since the federal auditor general first earned the so-called value-for-money audit mandate back in the 1970s, auditors general in Canada have greatly expanded the scope of their work, moving far afield from the traditional accountancy matters of public finance and internal control. This expansion has sometimes earned the criticism of observers, such as noted… Read more »

Can’t Bring Your Own Cup

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Sustainable Development.

Description: McDonalds Canada is facing criticism for its reluctance to accept reusable coffee mugs at its restaurants; all of its restaurants, that is, except for those in Vancouver. Like many chains, McDonalds started to refuse reusable coffee mugs early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. But competitors such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks have reversed this policy… Read more »

Actually, Things are Pretty Good!

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Canadian Economy.

Description: CBC columnist Don Pitts offered an encouraging view this week for this time of rising interest rates, inflation pressures, war in Ukraine, and SARS-CoV-2 news. Pitts points out the importance of adopting historical perspective on the economy issue, quoting University of Toronto professor emeritus Jon Cohen who says “We’re the richest anybody’s been in… Read more »