MEDIA RELEASE
May 28, 2014
Legislative Assembly -Province of British Columbia
VICTORIA –The all-party Special Committee to Appoint an Auditor General has unanimously recommended the appointment of Carol Bellringer as British Columbia's next Auditor General. The committee’s recommendation was presented today in a report adopted by the Legislative Assembly.
“The committee conducted an extensive search and received a number of excellent and well-qualified applicants,” said Committee Chair John Yap. “We are confident that Ms. Bellringer’s stellar background and previous experience as Auditor General of Manitoba make her an excellent choice as B.C.’s next Auditor General.”
“We were impressed by Ms. Bellringer’s credentials and outstanding leadership skills,” added Deputy Chair, Kathy Corrigan. “We look forward to her taking on this role and working to ensure government accountability and transparency.”
Ms. Bellringer is the fifth Auditor General to be recommended by an all-party special committee for a term appointment. Her predecessors are Erma Morrison, George Morfitt, Wayne Strelioff, and John Doyle. Since March 2013, Russ Jones has served as Acting Auditor General. Ms. Bellringer’s appointment commences on September 15, 2014.
The Legislative Assembly’s independent auditor, the Auditor General provides independent audit assessments about the fairness and reliability of the financial statements and public accounts, and assesses the operations and performance of government programs and services. Reports of the Auditor General are tabled with the Legislative Assembly and are discussed in a public forum with the all-party Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Pursuant to the Auditor General Act, the Legislative Assembly appoints a person to be Auditor General based on the unanimous recommendation of a parliamentary committee. In March 2013, legislation was passed changing the Auditor General’s appointment to a single non-renewable term of eight-years.
Bio attached.
The members of the Special Committee to Appoint an Auditor General are:
John Yap, MLA Richmond-Steveston (chair);
Kathy Corrigan, MLA Burnaby-Deer Lake (deputy chair);
Greg Kyllo, MLA Shuswap;
Mike Morris, MLA Prince George-Mackenzie;
Bruce Ralston, MLA Surrey-Whalley.
The report is available on the committee website at
http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/40thParl/session-2/ag/index.htm or by contacting:
For further Information:
Kate Ryan-Lloyd
Room 224, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4
Telephone: 250 356-2933
Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees
Toll-free: 1-877-428-8337
Fax: 250 356-8172
E-mail:
ClerkComm@leg.bc.ca
Biographical Information
Carol Bellringer is the former Auditor General for the Province of Manitoba, a position she held from 2006 to March 2014, and from 1992 to 1996 (when it was known as the Office of the Provincial Auditor). She also held previous roles in the office, and was formerly Assistant Provincial Auditor and Director, Training and Technology. Ms. Bellringer possesses an extensive background in conducting financial statement audits, performance audits, and investigations.
A Chartered Accountant, Ms. Bellringer holds an MBA from the Warsaw School of Economics/University of Quebec at Montreal. She also was named a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Manitoba in 2006 in recognition of her contributions to the community.
Ms. Bellringer brings relevant qualifications and leadership skills to the Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia. She previously served as the City Auditor for the City of Winnipeg, and has held management positions with KPMG in Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg, and with Media One International in Warsaw, Poland. Ms. Bellringer is also a former Director of Private Funding at the University of Manitoba.
In addition to her professional experience, Ms. Bellringer has held several board positions for business, charitable, and arts organizations. She currently serves on the board of the International Federation of Accountants, and has been a past board member for the Manitoba Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors; the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra; Manitoba Hydro; the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board; and CCAF-FCVI Inc.
