Sask. auditor Bonnie Lysyk resigns to become auditor general of Ontario

Auditor Bonnie Lysyk speaks at a news conference in Regina in this undated file photo.

REGINA -- Saskatchewan provincial auditor Bonnie Lysyk is leaving the job to become auditor general of Ontario.

Lysyk, who was appointed in April 2011, says she's moving to be closer to her daughter, who plans to go to university in Ontario.

"It's kind of with mixed emotions that I'm making a switch here," Lysyk said Monday.

"I really love working in this province. I have a lot of respect for the public sector here, I think it's an excellent public sector. My staff in the office, I have an excellent staff. They're just wonderful people to work with and so after even two years you develop a close affinity with the people you work with...so that's kind of what makes it hard.

"Members of the assembly have been very good to deal with as well, so yeah, with mixed emotions I accepted the position in Ontario."

Lysyk didn't always see eye-to-eye with the Saskatchewan government.

In April, she released a special report that said the government is presenting an incomplete and misleading picture of its finances.

Saskatchewan reports its finances on a general revenue fund basis and a summary basis. But Lysyk noted that the general revenue fund does not include Crown corporations and other agencies controlled by the government -- those are only included in the summary totals.

Lysyk said people get confused when the province releases what she called two sets of books at budget time and that the government can present what appears to be a balanced budget simply by shifting money around.

Lysyk says she's proud of her work in Saskatchewan.

"I'm hopeful that the work we did on the finances has put a little bit more information in the public's hands and that eventually the government will choose to go to summary full blast," she said.

Lysyk was born and raised in Manitoba. Among her many jobs, she served as deputy auditor general and chief operating officer for the office of the auditor general of Manitoba for nearly seven years.

She starts as auditor general of Ontario on Sept. 3.