Article content

OTTAWA — Michael Ferguson, Canada’s auditor general for the past seven years, died of cancer on Saturday at the age of 60.

Ferguson passed away in Ottawa surrounded by his wife, Georgina, and sons, Malcolm and Geoffrey, his office said in a statement.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Auditor General Michael Ferguson remembered as ’passionate fighter for accountability’ Back to video

“Mr. Ferguson will be remembered by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him as a humble, compassionate and thoughtful man,” his office’s statement said.

“He cared deeply about conducting audits that brought value to the public service, always for the greater good of Canadians.”

Ferguson, who was appointed auditor general by then prime minister Stephen Harper in November 2011, gained widespread respect for his hard-hitting reports about government spending.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose own government has often been in Ferguson’s crosshairs, said the New Brunswick native “devoted his life to public service,” both in his home province and across the country.