Two completely independent yet interdependent events took place recently in Alberta.

First was the release of the Auditor General's Annual Report. The second was the kick-off of Right to Know Week in Alberta - an internationally recognized event to mark the importance of Freedom of Information (FOI) laws. In fact, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Frank Work, held his press conference within a few hours of Auditor General, Fred Dunn.

This was fortuitous timing, as the solution to more than one of the problems highlighted by the AG would be solved with greater transparency and access to government information.

Unfortunately, while the press and opposition parties packed into Fred Dunn's news conference to hear juicy details of taxpayers' money gone astray, few attended Frank Work's news conference to hear why some of these same scandals persist. In fact, not even the minister responsible for Alberta's FOI Act turned up to mark the event.

In his report, the AG pointed out a serious breach in how government credit cards had been used by a former minister and his executive assistant. In fact, the executive assistant racked up $143,000 worth of charges over a three-year period. $38,000 of which were personal expenses, $58,000 were government expenses, and $47,000 were government expenses "without supporting documentation" (ie. no receipts to prove they were actually government expenses).

This lack of accountability for how tax dollars were spent is unacceptable and should never have happened.

In his news conference, the Information and Privacy Commissioner stressed the need for routine disclosure of government information, including spending and expense reports.

Had routine disclosure of minister and executive assistant expenses been enacted in 2004, it's doubtful this breach of taxpayers trust would have taken place.

While the Stelmach government ordered a new directive for the use of government credit cards in April 2007 (no more personal expenses allowed) and started to disclose some ministerial office expenses, is far from full disclosure and will do little to ensure these problems disappear.

A visit to any ministry website will take you to a page detailing the entire minister's office spending for the month, only broken down into three very broad categories. No where does it list what was purchased, who was hosted, where they went, or which person incurred the expense.

Current policies for ministerial expense disclosure are in stark contrast to the policies advocated by and indeed practiced by Messrs. Work and Dunn.

A visit to the auditor general's website will lead you to an expense disclosure page containing detailed reports for each senior staff member, including line-item travel expenses broken down into airfare, ground transportation, accommodation, meals and incidentals. Automobile expenses are all laid-out including lease charges, parking and operating. Hospitality and hosting costs are provided for each meal or session hosted by the staff member, detailing location, purpose and cost.

Even the federal government has a better track record on disclosure. Since 2004 taxpayers have been able to visit a central Government of Canada website that allows anyone to browse item-by-item through hundreds of employee's hospitality and travel expenses, departmental contracts worth more than $10,000, job reclassifications, and grants and contributions over $25,000.

Fred Dunn has clearly identified the problem. Frank Work has clearly identified the solution. Now it's up to Ed Stelmach to take action and prove he's serious about governing with integrity and transparency.