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.

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.

* 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