Praise for the PBO, but concern for the future
Scott Clark and Peter DeVries praise Kevin Page, but worry about the future of the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Mr. Page has set a very high bar for any successor.
We are not at all optimistic about the future of the Parliamentary Budget Office. It is clear from Minister’s Flaherty’s comment that the mandate of the Parliamentary Budget Office will be changed. The Office will likely be fully assumed within the Library of Parliament with restrictions on what studies it can undertake and how these studies are to be made public. Under such a scenario, many of the current staff will move on. The ability of the Parliamentary Budget Office to challenge the Government will be compromised. Reports will not get done and the Parliamentary Budget Office we know will probably quietly disappear.
Parliament and Canadians will be the worst off for it.