OTTAWA— Liberal Leader Bob Rae today announced that the Liberal caucus will oppose the nomination of Michael Ferguson as Auditor General, since this individual does not seem to meet many of the criteria laid out in the government’s own job description, including proficiency in both official languages.
“When the Prime Minister made me aware of his choice of Michael Ferguson as Auditor General, I responded that, after reviewing the documentation provided, I had some concerns about the proposed appointment,” said Mr. Rae. “Not only did his résumé lack experience of a national scope, we now learn he is not proficient in both of Canada’s official languages. The fact that Mr. Ferguson did not meet the criteria set out by the government itself was not disclosed to me by Mr. Harper.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his decision known to opposition parties in a letter dated August 31st, 2011, but no direct consultation followed. A Liberal request for further study in committee was not acknowledged.
“The position of Auditor General is an important institution in our democracy,” concluded Mr. Rae. ”The Auditor General is an officer of Parliament. For some time now all officers of Parliament have been bilingual, and rightly so. The successful applicant must not only demonstrate a grasp of the complexities and nuances of national issues, but he or she must also have the ability to study matters in both official languages. This is the only way to ensure fair and credible investigations and decisions.”
