Liberal Opposition MHA Eddie Joyce says that in the wake of yesterday’s release of the Auditor General’s Report, the Western School District has shown that they have major concerns regarding spending and accountability.

“As the Auditor General noted in his report, there are serious concerns with respect to expenditures, human resources, compliance with the Public Tender Act, and in certain instances, a lack of documentation regarding hires, compensation, capital assets, vehicle expenses, and so forth,” said Joyce. “It is appalling that as school councils in the area are struggling to provide the basic equipment for students, officials at the District level are spending freely with very little accountability.”

Joyce noted that the absence of job competitions and the rehiring of retired teachers, along with the incomplete, and in some cases missing documentation, are troubling.

“When young teachers are being passed over for the rehire of retired teachers, when job competitions are not happening, and when we have such disarray with recruitment, then what exactly is going on here?” asked Joyce.

Other glaring findings contained in the Auditor General’s Report pertain to the Western School District’s capital assets and vehicle expenses. Even though buildings were sold by government, at a cost of $74.1 million, insurance was still being paid. Also, vehicles used by District employees, two vehicles sold in 2006 and 2008 respectively, had expenditures attributed to them in fiscal year 2010-11.

“Clearly there needs to be far greater accountability on the part of the Western School District,” said Joyce. “These hiring practices and the irresponsible management of expenditures must be addressed immediately.”

“As a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I will request that the Committee hold hearings in Corner Brook and question the Western School District on the Auditor General’s findings concerning its operations,” said Joyce. “As the school district encompasses the area represented by Minister Tom Marshall and MHA Vaughn Granter, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier, I feel confident that they will ask their PC Members on the PAC to vote in favour of holding these hearings.”