Auditor General of British Columbia
Canadian government accountability agency
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Auditor General of British Columbia is an independent Officer of the Legislature of British Columbia, responsible for conducting audits of the government reporting entity (GRE) which consists of ministries, Crown corporations, and other organizations controlled by or accountable to the provincial government. Independence is a vital safeguard for fulfilling the Auditor General's responsibilities objectively and fairly based solely on the evidence found while conducting proper audit procedures. For this reason, the Auditor General reports directly to the Legislative Assembly and not the government of the day.[1]
| Auditor General of British Columbia | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since December 1, 2025Bridget Parrish | |
| Abbreviation | OAGBC |
| Reports to | Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |
| Term length | 8 years non-renewable |
Constituting instrument | Auditor General Act |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1977 |
| Headquarters | |
| Employees | 130 |
| Website | https://oag.bc.ca |
The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia (OAGBC) is located in Victoria, B.C., Canada.
History
Auditors General in B.C.
The position of Auditor General in B.C. was first filled in 1861, with a continuous line of auditors general until 1917. However, these auditors did not benefit from objectivity and independence from government direction and operational priorities: qualities that are the distinguishing features of a modern auditing and legislative reporting function.[2]
The position was re-established in 1977 with the Auditor General Act, brought in to "fill a gap that has existed in British Columbia up to this time," according to then-Finance Minister E.M. Wolfe.[3]
Since then, the Auditor General has been governed solely by the Auditor General Act. Per the Act, the Legislative Assembly must unanimously appoint a person to be the Auditor General. The Auditor General holds office for a non-renewable eight-year term.[4]
The Auditor General can resign from the office at any time by giving written notice to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The Auditor General can be suspended from office if a resolution is passed by 2/3 or more of the members present in the Legislative Assembly.[5]
List of all B.C. Auditors General
| Auditor General | Appointment Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bridget Parrish, CPA, CA | December 1, 2025[6] | |
| Sheila Dodds, CPA, CA^ | November 15, 2024 | December 1, 2025 |
| Michael A. Pickup, FCPA, FCA | July 27, 2020[7] | November 15, 2024 |
| Russ Jones, MBA, CA^ | December 31, 2019[8] | July 24, 2020 |
| Carol Bellringer, FCA | September 15, 2014 | December 31, 2019 |
| Russ Jones, MBA, CA^ | May 27, 2013[9] | September 14, 2014 |
| John Doyle, MAcc, FCA | October 29, 2007 | May 27, 2013 |
| Errol Price, FCA, CMC^ | June 4, 2007 | October 28, 2007 |
| Arn Van Iersel, FCGA^ | June 7, 2006 | June 1, 2007 |
| Wayne Strelioff, FCA | March 1, 2000 | May 2, 2006 |
| George L. Morfitt, FCA | January 1, 1988 | January 1, 2000 |
| Robert J. Hayward, CA^ | November 1, 1986 | January 1, 1988 |
| Erma P. Morrison, FCA | September 1, 1977, | October 31, 1986 |
| William Allison | April 1, 1913 | January 1, 1917 |
| John A. Anderson | December 1, 1900 | April 1, 1913 |
| James McBride Smith | January 1, 1880 | January 1, 1900 |
| John J. Austin^ | January 1, 1879 | January 1, 1880 |
| W.C. Berkely^^ | March 4, 1873 | January 1, 1878 |
| Thomas R. Holmes^ | September 1, 1871 | February 1, 1873 |
| Robert Ker | August 31, 1861 | September 1, 1871 |
^Acting Auditor General ^^Audit Clerk
Present day
Office of the Auditor General
Quick Facts
Fiscal 2025/26:[10]
- 115 regular
- 8 auxiliary staff
Training Office
The OAGBC is a recognized Chartered Accountant Training Office, meeting the profession's Practical Experience Requirements of providing audit, assurance and taxation hours.[11]
The OAGBC also participates in the Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation's international programs, which provides performance audit training for developing audit offices in a variety of countries.[12]