History

Before the Auditor General Act of 1977, audit functions were not separate from other processes directed by the government. Appointments of auditors general prior to 1917 were more like the modern Comptroller General’s role. Note that during that period of time, a line of auditors general is listed in name only and this line is broken by inconsistent naming of the position when it was tied in to government. Pre-1917 auditor institutions in the province did not benefit from objectivity and independence from government – features of a modern auditing and legislative reporting function.*

The history of the audit-of-government functions in B.C. begins with Erma Morrison, FCA. To include earlier names would suggest that independence was not the distinguishing characteristic of the role.

* According to Hon. E.M. Wolfe, Minister of Finance, “the auditor-general’s independence is his most valued asset.” See British Columbia Debates of the Legislative Assembly, Second reading, Auditor General Act, May 27, 1976, p. 2100.

Current auditor general

Portrait of deputy auditor general, Sheila Dodds

Sheila Dodds, CPA, CA, CIA

Acting Auditor General of B.C.
November 2024 – current

Auditor General Act, S.B.C. 2003 c. 2.

Sheila Dodds was appointed acting auditor general on September 12, 2024, effective November 15, 2024.

Previously, she held the deputy auditor general role, as appointed in August 2021. As part of that appointment, she was also named the Office of the Auditor General of B.C.’s first equity, diversity, and inclusion lead, responsible for leading the office in a modern, inclusive way that reflects the diversity of the province while delivering on the office’s commitments to the Legislative Assembly of B.C.

British Columbia’s first independent auditor general

Portrait of an older woman, white, curly perm. Name: Erma Morrison

Erma P. Morrison

Auditor General
September 1977 – October 1986

Auditor General Act
S.B.C. 1976, c. 3

Erma P. Morrison is renowned as British Columbia’s first independent auditor general, a pioneering role she assumed with dedication and distinction. Her tenure was marked by a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and fiscal integrity in the province’s public sector. Morrison’s groundbreaking work laid the foundation for rigorous auditing standards that continue to benefit British Columbia today.