Premier John Horgan addressed the press outside the Legislature Thursday, fielding questions from the media on the damning report on inappropriate spending.
Horgan praised the Speaker of the House, calling Daryl Plecas "truly and uniquely independent".
He says Plecas was able to use his independence to conduct the review and release his report on Sergeant-at-Arms Garry Lentz and Clerk of the Legislature Craig James, who allegedly engaged in overspending, questionable expenses, and cash payouts, totalling millions of dollars.
"For this unique moment of time, where we have a genuine independent, we were able to get an expose on the excesses of offices that are exempt from Freedom of Information, are exempt from scrutiny, of public scrutiny of expenses. All of that has only been able to happen because of the independence of Mr Plecas."
He says the report shows a culture of entitlement, and calls more transparency on expenditures, so that politicians can't use taxpayer money inappropriately to buy items "like a wood-splitter, or fly to England to buy a hat".
However, Horgan says there should still be some exceptions from the Freedom of Information Act.
"For example whistleblowers, who contact members of the Legislature about issues that they want to bring to the attention of the people who work in the Legislative Assembly, in the Chamber, to myself, my colleagues. And those individuals who come to talk to Legislators about issues of importance to them, or their community, could be at risk if that information is made public."
The Legislative Assembly Members Committee, or LAM-C, has asked for an audit of Legislative finances, and Horgan says the current Auditor General is absolutely equipped and capable of doing this audit.
"The Auditor General of British Columbia is independent. The current occupant, Carol Bellringer, is absolutely quipped and capable of doing this work. And I would suggest, having had her office and her staff, many of whom are still there, do the thorough audit that happened from 2010 to 2012, and exposed the challenges we have done our level best to fix, would be absolutely appropriate. Now should she require additional assistance from out of province, and LAM-C wants to direct that, it's up to them. But my view would be that the Auditor General and her staff are more than capable of picking up where they left off in 2010, or they can go back as far as wish."
Horgan adds that the public has the right to know how their money is being spent, how far back these transgressions go, and how quickly the problem can be fixed.