Auditor general to review all senators' expenses

The Senate's internal economy committee has accepted a plan by the federal auditor general to review all senators' expenses, including travel and office expenses, CBC News has learned.

Sources have told CBC News that senators will be required to co-operate.

Auditor General Michael Ferguson met with the Senate's committee on internal economy in June, in the wake of the committee's reports on independent audits of expense claims by senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Mac Harb.

The committee issued a report on an audit of Senator Pamela Wallin's travel expenses this week.

Ferguson told reporters in June he would have to decide on the scope of a Senate audit and would then discuss an audit plan with the clerk of the Senate and the Senate's audit sub-committee to explain the audit's scope and objectives.

A spokeswoman for the auditor general said this week the office could not comment on the audit before the actual report is issued, but confirmed it was underway.

"We have begun planning. The audit is underway. We're not speculating on a completion date," Ghislain Desjardins told CBC News on Wednesday.

After the June meeting with the Senate committee, Ferguson said an interim report might take 18 months to complete, although he added that reports could come in different phases, and the Senate could be updated as the work takes place.

Ferguson first raised questions about a lack of documentation for some senators' expenses in June 2012.