Page’s office points to ways feds can ease concerns over proposed PBO changes

However, it says the legislation falls short of the government’s vow to strengthen the PBO’s independence and will even weaken the office in some respects.

The institute recommends the proposal be amended so the PBO may continue to freely publish its findings in public without undergoing review by government officials, elected or not. It also says Ottawa should overturn changes that would require the PBO to submit its annual work plans to the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons for approval.

“Requiring approval of its work plan by the Speakers, other political actors, or civil servants, undermines the ability of the PBO to undertake proactive, objective analysis and risks political or other interference, or the perception of interference, in the delivery of its analysis,” reads the document, which was prepared by Helaina Gaspard.

The paper also calls for the legislation to provide the PBO with enough resources and access to data to allow it to execute its mandate. It also recommends internal and external evaluations for the office and requirements that any future appointee have expertise in federal budgeting as well as fiscal and economic analysis.

The government has argued the changes would make the PBO more independent regardless of the government in power by, among other things, making it an officer of Parliament.

A spokesman for government House leader Bardish Chagger has said the Liberals are “open to amendments on how to further improve the proposed legislation so that it accomplishes the goal of an independent PBO.”

Last week, Page, who served as Canada’s first PBO from 2008 until 2013, said he was concerned that some of the constraints could actually “really limit the quote unquote independence of the office in practice.”

“That could be a really big price,” he said after first reading about the proposed changes, which were contained in the so-called budget implementation act.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Page’s office points to ways feds can ease concerns over proposed PBO changes

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