Several government agencies are being scrutinized in the first report from new provincial auditor Tara Clemett.

One of those agencies is social services as Clemett says serious incidents are up 12 percent with no follow up being done on investigations.

At the Legislature Wednesday, Social Services Minister Lori Carr admitted the pandemic may have a role to play in that.

She says they will be getting back on track with case plans with individual clients.

Clemett has made several recommendations. While Carr has not taken a deep dive into what Clemett has to say, she does say that at first glance all recommendations can be acted on.

The government needs to a better job when it comes to monitoring the enforcement of the sale, promotions and use of both tobacco and vaping products.

That also from Provincial auditor Tara Clemett who says in her report that 55 per cent of 225 retail locations that previously sold to youth test shoppers didn’t undergo another inspection within the expected six months with that inspection ranging from a timeframe of seven months to two years after the original one and that retailers in some cases were notified nine weeks after a violation after occurred which is not prompt enough.

Clemett says the ministry while they don’t have a timeframe of getting violation notices out to those who need to see them, the goal is to do so within three weeks of that violation occurring.

She adds the SHA didn’t even give an annual inspection in 2020-21 to just under 20 percent of the more than 1,200 retail locations that offer tobacco and vaping products.

In Addition, the Provincial Auditor has found the provincial coroners service agency isn’t always completing and communicating coroner reports promptly or following up to confirm coroner recommendations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Justice minister Gord Wyant says he has looked over the audit and the eight recommendations made by Clemett will be adopted because of what those reports mean.

He says it is very important, especially for families, to have information from the good work being done by the coroner, so they can get closure as soon as possible.

One of those recommendations is the need to create a formal timeline for getting results known to families.

CKRM