Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 02, 2023 -

The Government of Canada received its 24th consecutive unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General of Canada, which attests that it properly reported its overall financial performance to Parliament for the 2021–2022 fiscal year, according to a unanimous report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented to the House of Commons by Committee Chairman John Williamson. The Committee’s report made two recommendations to the Government of Canada to improve transparency and oversight of the public accounts.

The Public Accounts of Canada 2022 were tabled in the House of Commons on 27 October 2022. These documents present the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada as well as information about government revenues, expenditures, budgetary deficits, liabilities, assets and the accumulated national debt.

Concurrently, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada presented its Commentary on the 2021-2022 Financial Audits, including the Auditor General’s Observations, formerly a part of the Public Accounts of Canada. This year, the Observations primarily focused on the following areas: pay administration; National Defence inventory and asset pooled items; environmental, social and governance reporting; and asset retirement obligations.

The Committee wishes to thank all those involved in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada 2022 and the audit of the government’s financial statements, both of which are critical to transparency and accountability of the federal government.