The BC NDP government has fired the board of its housing agency after an independent BC Housing investigation uncovered some issues.
The provincial housing agency’s budget is nearly $ 2 billion, up more than 140 percent from five years ago. And with a $ 7 billion increase in the budget for the next decade, the province commissioned the company Ernst & Young to investigate the agency.
Just a week after his report was made public, British Columbia Housing Minister David Eby announced that members of the Board of Commissioners were out.
Ernst & Young’s research, completed in May but published late last month, found problems with the agency, including inadequate oversight of decisions and spending, and unclear roles and responsibilities that can affect the ability to BC Housing to manage risks.
A press release from the province on Friday said Eby made the decision and the new board would “ensure the implementation of best practices” at the agency. The statement referred directly to the Ernst & Young report.
“The review was initiated by the BC government in 2021,” the statement says, “to ensure that BC Housing can deliver its expanded budget and mandate given the government’s historic investment of $ 7 billion in affordable housing for 10 years and the rapid growth of the Crown corporation “.
But BC housing liberal critic Mike Bernier accused Eby of making a “cover-up announcement” by posting the news late before a weekend.
Typical of the https://t.co/ZOPF9qwSTg
– @ Mike_A_Bernier
“Typical of the [NDP]”Bernier tweeted Friday.” Wait until a late Friday to try to hide more of this bug. [NDP] government.
“Eby has not fulfilled almost all the housing promises as a minister in this case!”
Replaced board members
All outgoing board members had been appointed after the new Democrats came to power in 2017.
The change, announced in the press release, includes the replacement of NDP-appointed board chairwoman Cassie Doyle.
She is replaced by Allan Seckel, former head of BC’s public service under BC’s liberal government in the 2000s and former deputy attorney general in the province.
“Doyle did not call for the re-election of his four-year term, which ends on July 18, 2022,” the province said in a June 30 statement.
Although Doyle’s role was scheduled to end this month, seven of the former board members were appointed to serve until 2023 and two until 2024.
Other dismissed board members were Barb Carle-Thiesson, Joanne Granek, Penny Gurstein, Kerry Pateman, Susan Russell-Csanyi, Sonia Sahota and Perry Staniscia.
They are being replaced by Jill Kot, Sheila Taylor, Mark Sieben and Russ Jones, as well as two new nominees who will take their seats in several weeks.