Michael Ferguson (auditor general)

Michael Ferguson (auditor general)
Name	Michael Ferguson
Office	Auditor General of Canada
Term start	2011
Term end	2019
Predecessor	Sheila Fraser
Successor	Karen Hogan
Birth date	1958
Birth place	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Death date	2019-02-02
Death place	Ottawa, Ontario
Alma mater	University of Prince Edward Island
Occupation	Public servant, accountant

Michael Ferguson (auditor general) was a Canadian accountant and senior public servant who served as the 14th Auditor General of Canada from 2011 until his death in 2019. He previously held senior audit and financial roles in the governments of Prince Edward Island and Canada, and was known for high-profile reports on federal programs, procurement, and public expenditures. Ferguson's tenure intersected with major national issues involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Revenue Agency, and federal procurement such as the F-35 Lightning II program.

Early life and education

Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Ferguson studied business and accounting at the University of Prince Edward Island and completed professional accreditation as a Chartered Accountant with ties to the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Early in his career he worked in public accounting practice and provincial financial administration linked to institutions like the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and provincial departments in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

Political career

Ferguson served in senior positions within the government of Prince Edward Island, including roles overseeing provincial audits and public accounts that connected him to provincial cabinets and premiers from parties such as the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island and the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island. He later moved to the federal public service, holding executive positions at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada before appointment as Auditor General. During his career he interacted with federal leaders including prime ministers from the Conservative Party of Canada and the Liberal Party of Canada, and with ministers responsible for portfolios like Finance and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Auditor General of Canada

Appointed Auditor General in 2011, Ferguson succeeded Sheila Fraser and reported to the Parliament of Canada, providing independent audit reports to the House of Commons of Canada and the Senate of Canada. His mandate involved performance audits, financial audits, and special examinations of Crown corporations and agencies such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the National Research Council (Canada). He worked with parliamentary committees including the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and engaged with officers of Parliament such as the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

Major audits and reports

Ferguson's office produced notable reports examining procurement programs like the F-35 Lightning II procurement process and audits concerning infrastructure funding tied to programs administered through Infrastructure Canada. His reports scrutinized accountability at entities including the National Energy Board and the Canada Border Services Agency, and addressed issues in federal transfers to provinces such as those under health and social programs involving the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canada Pension Plan. He issued performance audits that assessed risk management at the Public Health Agency of Canada and evaluated federal spending related to events such as the 2010 Winter Olympics legacy projects and disaster response frameworks that implicated agencies like Public Safety Canada.

Controversies and criticisms

Ferguson's audits sometimes provoked debate with federal ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of Crown corporations including disputes over the findings about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police information systems and criticisms of procurement practices at Public Services and Procurement Canada. Some stakeholders, including officials from the Canada Revenue Agency and executives at federally funded organizations, contested recommendations and highlighted jurisdictional limits between the Auditor General's mandates and statutory authorities such as the Financial Administration Act. Debates in the House of Commons of Canada and before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts often centered on implementation of Ferguson's recommendations and timelines for corrective action, drawing commentary from opposition parties like the New Democratic Party and commentators in media outlets in Ottawa and Toronto.

Personal life and death

Ferguson was married and had family ties to Prince Edward Island; he maintained connections with professional bodies including the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and participated in national audit networks involving the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation. He died in office on February 2, 2019, in Ottawa, Ontario, after a battle with cancer, and was succeeded on an interim basis before the appointment of Karen Hogan as Auditor General. His death prompted tributes from parliamentary leaders across parties including the Prime Minister of Canada and opposition leaders in the House of Commons of Canada.

Category:Auditors General of Canada Category:People from Charlottetown Category:University of Prince Edward Island alumni