The highly anticipated release of the Auditor General’s report into Alison Redford’s travel expenses and use of taxpayer funded resources has determined the former premier, and her office, acted in an aura of power, under the perception the office’s decisions should not be questioned.

Auditor General, Merwan Saher, discovered an ‘aura of power’ around Premier Redford and rules were circumvented or ignored in order to ensure the premier would not face scrutiny or personal responsibility for the office’s decisions.

“We say a tendency to ignore or work around rules. What am I referring to there? I’m referring to block booking the premier’s suite, Premier Redford taking her daughter on flights, partisan use of aircraft, business class travel without that business class travel being approved before it happened,” said Saher at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

The Auditor General determined ‘other areas of government were wary of challenging decisions made in the premier’s office’.

The audit, which was conducted from March 2014 through July 2014, included interviews with:

  • Premier Redford
  • Redford’s former chief of staff
  • Redford’s executive assistants
  • Redford’s current and former employees
  • Employees of the Ministry of IIR

Other findings of the audit included:

  • Redford’s travel, meal and hospitality expenses from October 2012 through March 2014 totaled $659,690
  • Government departments spent $42.1 million on employee travel in 2013-2014 and a review is needed into the use of business class travel for public servants
  • The Office of the Premier was involved in plans to redevelop the 11th floor of the Edmonton Federal Building into a suite for the premier.

The office of Alison Redford used the government’s aircraft for personal and partisan purposes including:

  • Three examples where Premier Redford travelled without identifiable government business
  • Examples where Premier Redford travelled with her daughter and her daughter’s friends
  • Examples where Premier Redford’s daughter travelled without her mother
  • Block booking government aircraft reservations to give the appearance of a full flight so passengers could not ride on the same flight as the premier

Some political pundits believe Redford’s decision to step away from office was a preemptive measure before the release of the report.

To view the report in its entirety, click HERE or scroll the document in below.