Judy Ferguson, Saskatchewan’s provincial auditor, is resigning, said Randy Weekes, the speaker of the legislative assembly.
Ferguson was appointed provincial auditor on June 1, 2015. She was the acting provincial auditor for nearly two years prior to her appointment and has spent over 30 years working in the provincial auditor’s office.
“The speaker extends sincere appreciation and gratitude to Ms. Ferguson for her 40 years of service to the people of Saskatchewan and wishes her all the best in her future endeavours,” Weekes said Tuesday in a statement.
The provincial auditor’s office is independent from the executive government and is tasked with providing advice on the management, governance and effective use of public resources.
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Among her recommendations during her time in office, Ferguson said eHealth needs to do more to protect unauthorized access to patient health records.
Ferguson made the comment after eHealth was hit with a ransomware attack in January 2020. Ferguson said more than 80 per cent of the laptops with access to the eHealth IT network were not encrypted while 80 per cent of them used an unsupported operating system, making those devices susceptible to compromise and failure.
She has also called for improvements in northern Saskatchewan suicide prevention measures, increased monitoring of opioid dispensing in pharmacies, and improved rehabilitation processes in jails.
Ferguson’s last day is June 30.
The standing committee on public accounts will start the recruiting process for a new provincial auditor.