Ottawa, 3 March 2009—The 2009 Status Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, and Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, will be tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 31 March 2009.
The Auditor General’s 2009 Status Report contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1—National Security: Intelligence and Information Sharing—The audit examined the progress made by the government in response to our 2003 recommendation that security and intelligence agencies be subject to levels of external review and reporting that is proportionate to their level of intrusion into the privacy of individuals. We also followed up on selected recommendations from our audit of the 2001 anti-terrorism initiative, reported in 2004—we looked at progress made by 14 departments and agencies in their management and sharing of intelligence information, including the interoperability of their systems to support information sharing.
Chapter 2—Governor in Council Appointments Process—The audit looked at the government’s process for making Governor in Council appointments to Crown corporations, small federal entities, and the Immigration and Refugee Board. It followed up on the status of recommendations from a number of previous reports that had raised issues pertaining to the process. We did not audit the appointment decisions made by the Governor in Council or the roles played by ministers, ministers’ offices or the Prime Minister’s Office.
Chapter 3—Auditing Small and Medium Enterprises—Canada Revenue Agency—The audit followed up on our 2004 audit of the Agency’s Small and Medium Enterprises Program and our 1999 audit of its Underground Economy Initiative. We examined the progress made by the Agency in implementing our recommendations in four areas: assessing the risks of non-compliance, targeting small and medium enterprises to audit for compliance, promoting compliance, and measuring and reporting on the performance of its compliance activities.
Chapter 4—Treaty Land Entitlement Obligations—Indian and Northern Affairs Canada—Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for managing the conversion to reserve status of land selected or purchased by First Nations under treaty land entitlement agreements. The audit examined the Department’s progress in implementing recommendations from an audit in 2005, when we reported a number of specific deficiencies in the Department’s management practices for meeting its treaty land entitlement obligations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The 2005 audit found that there had been limited progress in converting to reserve status the large number of acres selected in those provinces by First Nations.
Chapter 5—Passport Services—Passport Canada—The audit assessed whether Passport Canada has made satisfactory progress in implementing actions and developing contingency plans to prepare for any rise in the volume of passport applications leading up to June 1, 2009, when Canadians entering the United States by land or by sea will be required to carry a passport.
The 2009 Status Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1—Safety of Drinking Water—The audit examined Health Canada’s progress in implementing our 2005 recommendations on reviewing and updating the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, providing guidance to federal departments for safe drinking water at federal facilities, and monitoring the safety of drinking water on aircraft, trains, and cruise ships. We also looked at whether Correctional Service Canada and Parks Canada Agency have improved the management of drinking water systems at their facilities and sites, based on the Health Canada’s guidance issued in late 2005. In addition, we looked at how Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency carry out their responsibilities for ensuring the safety of bottled drinking water.
Chapter 2—Air Quality Health Index—Health Canada and Environment Canada—The audit examined progress toward a commitment made at the 2001 Toronto Smog Summit and reiterated by Health Canada and Environment Canada in responses to two petitions submitted in 2002 and 2003 through the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. The commitment was to develop a Canada-wide air quality index based on health risks.
These Status Reports, along with news releases for each chapter, will be available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada Web site immediately following tabling.
The Auditor General conducts independent audits and examinations that provide objective information, advice, and assurance to Parliament. The Office normally reports to Parliament up to four times a year.
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, who reports to the Auditor General, is responsible for monitoring sustainable development strategies, overseeing the environmental petitions process, and auditing environmental and sustainable development issues.
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