News that the B.C. auditor general is the top contender for a prestigious auditor-general job in Melbourne, Australia raises questions about his behaviour in recent weeks.
Doyle went on the attack against the legislative committee charged with his reappointment after it voted not to offer him a second term. He suggested it was a personal, political decision and took to the media to make disturbing suggestions that he subsequently made no attempt to document or prove.
News reports say the auditor-general in the state of Victoria, Australia resigned in December. Apparently, between then and now Doyle has become the leading contender to fill the role – although there is no guarantee that in the tiny world of Commonwealth auditors general there was not already some advance notice to Doyle of the upcoming vacancy.
Last year, B.C. taxpayers sent Doyle and two assistant B.C. auditors general to the Australasian Conference of Auditors General conference in Sydney. (Since Doyle is not accountable directly to taxpayers for his activities, no explanation has been sought or offered as to how Canada fits into Australasia. However, B.C. was not the only Canadian province represented.)
The tiny gathering of 32 senior public auditors included the auditor general of the state of Victoria, Des Pearson, and three colleagues from his office.
Doyle’s career development also raises the interesting question of whether his purpose in other expenses shuttling back and forth between Victoria, B.C. and Australia had anything to do with the Australian’s job search. During his term in the B.C. post, taxpayers here were billed over $60,000 for those flights.
It was common knowledge among B.C.’s press gallery journalists that Doyle was often in Australia.
The news also raises the question of what Doyle really meant with certain media comments during recent days.
For example, on January 24 Doyle appeared on CFAX radio where host Terry Moore asked him whether he would take a full term in B.C. again if he was offered it.
Doyle replied that there was “a time when I would have liked nothing more” but now “I’m thinking about how can I work going into the future, what should I be doing, and what is probably best for the province?” During the discussion he continued to insist the issue was not about him or his future, but about the independence of the auditor general’s office in B.C.
Recently, B.C. Political Reports paid tribute to Doyle’s public service record with a satirical post. We also wondered out loud what might have set Doyle off causing his media eruption last week.
B.C. Political Reports 