Highlights from the auditor general’s reports
Posted November 20, 2018 10:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA — Highlights from the 2018 auditor general’s report
New planes, no pilots
Canada’s $500-million purchase of used CF-18 fighter jets from Australia will be hamstrung by the ongoing problem that the air force does not have enough pilots to fly them or technicians to keep them in the air. The military has warned the government about this for years.
Military more aware of sexual assaults but supports lacking
The Canadian Forces are doing better at encouraging members to report instances of sexual misconduct but help for people who’ve suffered in the ranks is inadequate.
Unprotected embassies and consulates
About half of Canada’s diplomatic corps works in places where there’s danger from terrorism, espionage or armed conflict. Spot-checks of Canada’s missions abroad found all of their security plans are lacking in some way, from outdated or nonexistent threat assessments to missing or broken equipment.
Heritage buildings unprotected
Three federal bodies that are responsible for more than two-thirds of the government’s historic structures don’t have adequate plans to protect them. National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans, and Parks Canada don’t even have a handle on what buildings they own, let alone resources and strategies for conserving delicate heritage sites.
No budget for high-speed rural Internet means no plan
Governments have talked for years about extending broadband internet to almost every inhabitant of Canada but with no budget to put behind a plan, none has ever been developed. Rural and remote areas risk being left behind by the digital economy.
CRA treats different taxpayers differently
The level of service you get from the Canada Revenue Agency depends on which regional office you deal with, which months-long delays varying from place to place.
Parolees aren’t getting out on parole
A shortage of community-supervision options means that federal inmates who are entitled to parole aren’t getting out because there’s nowhere approved for them to go. Sometimes the delays stretch into months.
The Canadian Press
