Finance refused to release details on fossil fuel subsidies: auditor
OTTAWA — It’s nearly impossible to tell if the government is meeting a promise to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies because it won’t provide the necessary information, the auditor general said Tuesday in his latest report to Parliament.
But the rules governing that information have now changed, says Finance Minister Bill Morneau, suggesting auditors will get what they need — next time.
In his spring report, auditor general Michael Ferguson said his office has engaged in a losing battle with the Finance Department to gain access to the information required to fully examine the government’s actions on climate change.
While the report noted Environment and Climate Change Canada has a plan to support the commitments Canada made at a G20 summit in 2009, it said there’s no way of knowing whether Finance has done the work needed to support that plan.