The auditor general of Nova Scotia is an officer of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly to aid accountability and oversight by conducting independent financial audits of provincial government operations. These audits provide members of the House of the Assembly and the public with objective evidence to help them examine the government's activities and hold it to account.
Kim Adair is the auditor general of Nova Scotia, as of May 3, 2021. She replaced Michael Pickup who became Auditor General of British Columbia.
Auditors general are appointed by the governor-in-Council and confirmed by a vote in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.
The auditor general's responsibilities include:
The original role of Provincial auditor was created in 1909 as an act of the House of Assembly. This role last until 1926 until the position was abolished and replaced by a chartered public accountant appointed on an annual basis by the government.
In 1942 the role was re-established as part of the Department of the Provincial Treasurer. In 1950, the Provincial auditor was given the powers of a public inquiry commissioner.
The modern role was formed in 1958. The position was renamed to the auditor general and made an independent officer of the Legislature.
In 2005 the auditor general confirmation process was made subject to a majority vote of the House of Assembly and the term of each appointment was limited to a ten-year non-renewable term.[3]