Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, October 20, 2022 -

With some controversy, the Government of Canada received its 23rd consecutive unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General of Canada, which attests that it accurately reported its overall financial performance to Parliament and Canadians for the 2020–2021 fiscal year, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented to the House of Commons today by John Williamson, Chairman of the Committee. In addition, the Official Opposition tabled a dissenting report.

The Public Accounts of Canada 2021 were tabled in the House of Commons on December 14, 2021, and presented the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada, including information about federal government revenues, expenditures, budgetary shortfall, liabilities, assets and the accumulated deficit. Unusually, the federal government reopened the audited books in November 2021 to add nearly $10 billion in expenditures after Auditor General Karen Hogan had signed off on the public accounts on September 9, 2021. For the first time under current public-sector accounting rules, this modification required a second review and sign off by the Auditor General, a so-called “dual-dated” audit opinion.

Concurrently with the tabling of the Public Accounts of Canada 2021, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada presented its Commentary on the Financial Audits, including the Auditor General’s Observations, formerly a part of the Public Accounts of Canada. This year, the observations mainly focused on pay administration and the National Defence inventory. Additionally, this year’s commentary included an analysis of the Government of Canada’s Covid-19 Response and the $244 billion spent on direct support.

In its report, the Committee makes three recommendations to the Government of Canada to improve federal financial reporting. In addition, the Committee wishes to thank all those involved in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada 2021 and the audit of the government’s financial statements, both of which are critical to transparency and accountability of the federal government.