Auditor General “schools” union on the role of her office, calls them out for failing to address corruption

By Benjamin Flowers: This week the Public Service Union (PSU) and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (APSSM) said that Auditor General (AG) Dorothy Bradley was incompetent in carrying out her duties as a check and balance for the government and called for her removal upon the end of her contract. Today the Auditor General responded to the unions’ statements, calling them “baseless” and stressing that the unions seem to have no idea how her office operates.

“It is evident that the Unions neither understand the mandate of the Office of the Auditor-General nor the powers of the Auditor-General and need to be schooled in the constitutional provisions that establishes such Office,” the AG said, noting that the post is not a contract position but rather one established by Section 120 of the Constitution.

The AG notes that her office has repeatedly called for its independence from the Executive branch of government and has made numerous requests to be provided with an increased budget and staff to fill the 17 vacant posts within the office. Despite those challenges, the AG notes that her office operates with approximately 500 entities subject to external auditing and have carried out audits while taking a non-partisan, non-political approach.

“The same Constitution provides a mechanism via which the work of the Auditor General can be reviewed and if the Unions were indeed legitimately aggrieved, they should use the proper process instead of launching baseless attacks to try and tarnish the Office,” the AG added. “The Office of the Auditor General has been consistent in producing credible work and has kept this Nation informed even in the face of adversities when the very Public Service Union and Association of Senior Public Managers have kept quiet and condoning improper conduct within the public service. Not once has either Union come to the Office’s defense even though the Auditor General is a member of APSSM, and the staff are members of PSU.”

The AG noted she and her staff have endured attacks during the commission of their duties but she has often opted not to respond. She stressed that the latest attacks from the unions are an attempt to distract from their own incompetence to maintain an image that the public service is beyond reproach.

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