Ottawa – The Senate’s newest permanent committee has finalized a charter outlining its authority and responsibilities within the Senate and released its first annual report.

The Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight’s charter and report were presented in the Senate Chamber on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

The Senate Audit and Oversight Charter describes the committee’s mandate: for the purposes of integrity, independence, transparency and accountability, the committee is authorized to supervise the Senate’s internal and external audits, among other related matters.

Creating this committee was among the recommendations in a report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on senators’ office and travel expenses. The committee’s annual report notes that these form a relatively small portion of the Senate’s total expenses; in fact, the scope of the committee’s oversight includes the Senate’s entire operations and expenditures.

In a parliamentary first, the Senate appointed two external members to complement the committee with their independent expertise in finance, accounting, governance and business management. While these are non-voting positions, all committee members are entitled to include observations and dissenting opinions in any committee report as another measure of transparency.

Quick Facts

• The Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight’s first annual report covers the 18-month period since its creation on October 1, 2020. Members were given the authority to work over the election period, when Parliament was dissolved.
• The committee is independent of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, which is charged with all matters of a financial or administrative nature relating to the internal management of the Senate. The chairs of the two committees must be from different parties or parliamentary groups, and senators will not be permitted to be members of both committees at the same time.
• The committee’s external members are Hélène F. Fortin and Robert Plamondon. These highly qualified chartered professional accountants were selected after a rigorous recruitment process.

Quotes

“The work of this committee will provide another meaningful level of oversight to the Senate’s operations and expenditures. I am proud of the work we have done so far and the demonstrated commitment to integrity and good governance that the members of this committee have shown.”

- Senator Marty Klyne, Chair of the committee

“Canadians should have confidence that their institutions are prudent with public resources. We encourage Canadians to follow our work within the Senate’s governance structure to see the steps we are taking to live up to this expectation.” 

- Senator Renée Dupuis, Deputy Chair of the committee

“I would like to highlight the contributions of our external members, whose expertise and advice have already proved invaluable. Their independence and the professional obligations of their practice will ensure that the work of this committee meets the highest standards.”

- Senator David Wells, Deputy Chair of the committee

Associated Links

• Read the Annual Report of the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight: Activities and Observations, October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022.
• Read the Senate Audit and Oversight Charter
• Follow the committee on social media using the hashtag #AOVS.
• Sign up for the Senate eNewsletter.

For more information:
Éliane Lafrenière
Communications Officer | Senate of Canada
343-573-3805 | eliane.lafreniere@sen.parl.gc.ca