FREDERICTON – New Brunswick’s auditor general has released a new report that identifies issues in an array of sectors, including the province’s debt, and potential over-payments to doctors.

Kim MacPherson says the pace of net debt growth in the province is not sustainable long-term, and significant changes are needed to address the problem.

In her annual report released today, MacPherson says it’s a disturbing trend to see the $3.3 billion increase in the net debt over the last five years.

The provincial government said the net debt was $10 billion as of August.

MacPherson says some positive signs include last year’s reduction in the deficit compared to the previous year, resulting in a slowing of debt growth.

But MacPherson says there has not been enough progress on improving the province’s finances.

Turning her attention to infrastructre, she says the province should develop a long-term plan to ensure the sustainability and safety of highways, schools and hospitals.

MacPherson believes current funding levels will not allow for optimal highway maintenance.

She says there were higher funding levels in 2009, 2010 and 2011, but increased deficits and debt meant the fiscal state
of the province declined.

MacPherson says the government needs a 20-year plan with a protected level of funding to ensure maintenance of assets.

The auditor general also targeted doctors.

MacPherson says medicare expenditures for 2011 exceeded $553 million, but just 53 percent of medicare payments to doctors were subject to an audit.

MacPherson told a legislature committee today that all payments should be audited.

She claims 16 New Brunswick doctors received more than $1 million each from medicare last year.

One ophthalmologist got over $1.6 million.

MacPherson says in some cases, doctors sent bills for the same service to both medicare and WorkSafeNB.

Still in the medical field, MacPherson says there were numerous cases of conflict of interest in e-health contracts that
were awarded between 2005 and 2011.

She says the Department of Health contracted consultants who managed their own contracts and had access to competitor information.

In a few sample cases, MacPherson says the work contracted to consultants could have been by department staff at a lower cost.