Liberals rushing out ‘financial update’
VICTORIA — B.C.’s Liberal government, facing imminent defeat by its opponents in the legislature, is rushing out the province’s year-end financial figures before they can be certified by the independent auditor general.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong said he’ll release a “financial update” on the year-end public accounts on Wednesday — one day before his Liberal government is expected to be defeated on a vote of confidence in the legislature.
De Jong said the public deserves to have an update on B.C.’s improved financial situation, and the Liberal plan to pay for dozens of new promises and policy positions contained in last week’s throne speech.
“We’ve got an awfully good track record when it comes to financial statements that have received a clean bill of health,” de Jong said Tuesday.
“We do financial updates all the time, I don’t think there’s anything unusual about that. I’m not trying to present something as something they’re not. They’re a summary of what’s taken place, and also an update of what’s taken place in 2017.
“I should think people would be very interested to know how we’ve done. The auditor general advises they’ll be in a position to issue the certificate next week, but that may be for someone else other than I.”
Typically, the government introduces the yearend public accounts in July, after they have been fully audited by the auditor general and contain a letter with any qualifications or concerns the auditor might have.
But with the Liberals expected to be defeated on a confidence vote Thursday, the party would not last in government long enough to deliver the good news it says is contained in its economic forecast.
NDP Leader John Horgan, who could become the next premier once the Liberal government is defeated, criticized the Liberals for the decision.
“It’s unprecedented to release the public accounts before they’ve been reviewed by the auditor general,” he said in an interview.
“Again, it’s just more distraction and dangling of issues before (the media) and the public that take away from the fact this government is illegitimate. They have been staying overly long and they are going to go to the extraordinary efforts of pretending the books have been audited when they haven’t been.”