Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, November 22, 2017 -

OTTAWA – The Government of Canada received its 19th consecutive unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General of Canada (AG), which attests that it properly reported its overall financial performance for the 2016–2017 fiscal year to Parliament and to Canadians, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled today in the House of Commons by the Hon. Kevin Sorenson, Chair of the Committee.

The Public Accounts of Canada 2017 were tabled in the House on 5 October 2017. They present the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada and provide information about Government revenues, expenditures, budgetary balance, liabilities, assets and accumulated deficit. They also include the AG’s observations on the following three subjects: the transformation of pay administration (including matters pertaining to the Phoenix system); the discount rates selected by management; and, the Department of National Defence’s inventory (including its recent progress therein).

The Committee wishes to thank all those involved in the preparation and audit of the Public Accounts of Canada 2017, whose work is critial to transparency and accountability of the federal government, “so all Canadians can understand, first of all, that there are those who are keeping it transparent and accountable.” Furthermore, in this report, the Committee has made three recommendations to the Government of Canada to ensure that the strong work of the federal financial reporting continues.