News Release Archive
FINANCE--ATLANTIC LOTTERY AUDIT ------------------------------------------------------------ The books of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation will be audited by Nova Scotia's Auditor General Roy Salmon, Finance Minister Bernie Boudreau announced today. The province's auditor general has expressed an interest in looking at the books of the Lottery Corporation, which is a partnership among the four Atlantic Provinces. Mr. Boudreau said the timing and scope of the audit are now up to Mr. Salmon. "This action is not intended to raise any suspicions about the operation of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. Rather, it is an expression of this government's commitment to the principle of accountability. Publicly-owned institutions must be accountable to the people for their actions and their operations," Mr. Boudreau said. "As an agency that operates games of chance, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation must not only be above reproach, it must constantly strive to gain and maintain public confidence in the integrity of all facets of its operation. This government has established high standards of open, accountable gaming operations in Nova Scotia. We want to confirm that those standards apply to all gaming activities in which Nova Scotia has an interest," the minister said in a statement to the legislature. The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, the business agent for all gaming activities in which the province participates, made the audit request of Mr. Salmon. Mr. Boudreau said the Gaming Corporation has a responsibility to protect Nova Scotia's interests as a shareholder in the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. "In exercising that responsibility the Gaming Corporation concluded, and I agreed, that an independent audit was required," he said. -30- Contact: Ralph Fiske 902-424-5039 trp Dec. 15, 1995