British Columbia has nine non-partisan statutory offices that support the work of Members of the Legislative Assembly by carrying out important functions, from the monitoring of government programs and performance to ensuring compliance with provincial laws. They are headed by independent officers who are appointed by, and report to, the Legislative Assembly. Reports of some offices are also reviewed by all-party parliamentary committees.
To ensure their independence, statutory officers have a legislated mandate, annual budgets reviewed by an all-party parliamentary committee, and the authority to hire staff. An independent process – a special all-party appointment committee – is also used to recommend statutory officers for appointment by the Legislative Assembly.
Michael A. Pickup, FCPA, FCA, Auditor General
The Auditor General, an officer of the Legislature appointed under the authority of the Auditor General Act, exists to help Members of the Legislative Assembly hold the government accountable. Through its financial audit opinions, the Office of the Auditor General gives legislators and British Columbians assessments about the fairness and reliability of the financial statements and public accounts of the government. The Office also reviews the wider operations and performance of government organizations or programs and whether they are achieving objectives effectively, economically, and efficiently. The reports of the Auditor General are tabled with the Legislative Assembly and discussed, in a public forum, with the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Honourable Victoria Gray, KC, Conflict of Interest Commissioner
The Commissioner is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly appointed under the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act, by resolution of the Legislative Assembly. The Commissioner performs three separate but related roles: advising Members confidentially of their obligations under the Act; providing opinions in response to requests from Members or members of the public respecting compliance or contraventions of the Act; and meeting with Members within 60 days of their election, and then on an annual basis, to review a disclosure statement of assets, liabilities and financial interests of Members, their spouses and minor children. The office is located on the Legislative Precinct, on the 1st floor, 421 Menzies Street.
Contact Information
Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner 250-356-0750 250-356 6580 conflictofinterest@coibc.caAnton Boegman, Chief Electoral Officer
An officer of the Legislature, the Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for the fair and impartial administration of the electoral process in B.C. pursuant to the Election Act, the Recall and Initiative Act and the Referendum Act. Elections BC also administers campaign financing and advertising rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. The Chief Electoral Officer heads Elections BC, the non-partisan office responsible for administering provincial elections, plebiscites, voter registration and list maintenance, enumerations, referenda, electoral boundaries, election financing, registration of political parties and constituency associations, registration of election advertisers, recall petitions, initiative petitions and initiative votes, and other aspects of the provincial electoral process.
Contact Information
Elections BC 250-387-5305 or toll-free 1-800-661-8683 or TTY 1-888-456-5448 1-866-466-0665 electionsbc@elections.bc.caKasari Govender, KC, Human Rights Commissioner
The Human Rights Commissioner is an independent officer of the Legislature appointed under the Human Rights Code and is responsible for protecting and promoting human rights.
The Commissioner’s responsibilities include: identifying and promoting the elimination of discriminatory practices, policies and programs; developing and delivering public information and education about human rights; undertaking and supporting research respecting human rights; examining the human rights implications of any policy, program or legislation; and promoting compliance with international human rights obligations. While the Commissioner may call an inquiry into broad human rights issues or systemic discrimination, the responsibility for screening and adjudicating individual and group complaints remains with the Human Rights Tribunal.
Contact Information
Office of the Human Rights Commissioner toll-free 1-844-922-6472 info@bchumanrights.ca
Michael McEvoy, Information and Privacy Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner monitors and enforces compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection Act. An independent officer of the Legislature, the Information and Privacy Commissioner conducts reviews of access to information requests, investigates complaints, initiates investigations or audits in the public interest, monitors compliance with the Acts, comments on the access and privacy implications of proposed legislation or policy, and promotes freedom of information and protection of privacy principles through public education and outreach. The Commissioner is also designated the Registrar of Lobbyists pursuant to the Lobbyist Registration Act, and is responsible for maintaining the Lobbyists Registry and enforcing the legislative requirement for lobbyists to register.
Contact Information – Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner 250-387-5629 250-387-1696 info@oipc.bc.caContact Information – Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists
Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists 250-387-2686 250-387-1696 info@bcorl.caDavid McCoy, Merit Commissioner
The Merit Commissioner is an officer of the Legislature mandated to provide independent oversight and insight into merit-based hiring in the B.C. Public Service. The Merit Commissioner monitors the principle of merit in appointments as defined in the Public Service Act and conducts final level review of staffing decisions at the request of unsuccessful employees. The Office is also responsible for reviewing dismissal processes for just cause to ensure compliance and consistency with government practices, policies and standards.
Contact Information
Office of the Merit Commissioner 250-953-4208 250-953-4160 merit@meritcomm.bc.caJay Chalke, KC, Ombudsperson
The Office of the Ombudsperson investigates complaints from members of the public about the administration of government programs and services, including unfair or unreasonable treatment by provincial and local public authorities, and provides general oversight of the administrative fairness of government processes, as outlined in the Ombudsperson Act. The Ombudsperson may make recommendations to improve public administration and issues various types of reports which are tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The Office also investigates allegations of wrongdoing and reprisal brought forward by current and former provincial government employees, pursuant to the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
Contact Information
Office of the Ombudsperson 250–387-5855 or toll-free 1-800-567-3247 250–387-0198 info@bcombudsperson.caPrabhu Rajan, Police Complaint Commissioner
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is the independent oversight agency that provides an accessible way for the public to voice their concerns about the conduct of any municipal/special municipal police officer or department. The Police Complaint Commissioner ensures thorough and competent investigations of police complaints and fair adjudication of police misconduct allegations with respect to both citizens and police officers alike. The Commissioner, an independent officer of the Legislature, is responsible for ensuring compliance with Part 11 – Misconduct, Complaints, Investigations, Discipline and Proceedings, of the Police Act, as well as maintaining records of all complaints and their dispositions. The Commissioner is also responsible for advising, informing and assisting all parties involved in the complaint process and provides statistical information about complaint and misconduct trends and reports regularly to the Legislative Assembly and the public.
The Commissioner can make recommendations to police boards for improvements to the manner in which they deliver their services to the public, such as recommendations for policy creation or recommendations for changes to existing policy. In addition, this office can make recommendations for improvements of the complaint process.
Contact Information
Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner 250-356-7458 or toll-free 1-877-999-8707 info@opcc.bc.caDr. Jennifer Charlesworth, Representative for Children and Youth
An independent officer of the Legislature appointed pursuant to the Representative for Children and Youth Act, the Representative for Children and Youth has a three-part mandate: reviewing, investigating and reporting on the critical injuries and deaths of children in care or children receiving reviewable services from public bodies; advocating on behalf of children, youth, and young adults, and their families respecting designated services and programs; and monitoring, reviewing, and auditing the provision of designated services.
Contact Information
Office of the Representative for Children and Youth 250-356-6710 or toll-free 1-800-476-3933 250-356-0837 rcy@rcybc.ca