Mr. Page has said previously that he would not seek another term as budget officer, but also said last week that if the government asked him to stay on for “few more months to facilitate the transition on the appointment of the next PBO [he] would accept.”
Mr. Page said, however, that it’s unlikely that would happen, which is why the government should use its governor-in-council appointment power to fill the position temporarily while the Library of Parliament conducts a search for the new person.
“I think the government’s position was made clear with the vote on the motion advanced by the official opposition [last] week that there is no interest in an extension,” Mr. Page said.
“It is important that the position of Parliamentary budget officer be occupied at the end of March, either through a timely appointment of a new budget officer or an interim governor-in-council appointment from someone currently in the office,” Mr. Page told The Hill Times last week, amid concerns that the office will be vacant when the 2013 budget is tabled at the end of March and MPs are unable to receive an analysis of it from the office.
“Budgets are key economic and fiscal policy statements for the government. The position of the Parliamentary budget officer was created through the Accountability Act to help Parliamentarians with additional economic and fiscal analysis so they are better placed to hold the government to account. Budget 2013 will mark the starting point for the next budget officer. There should be a seamless transition—anything less is a management failure,” Mr. Page said.
MPs voted last Tuesday on an NDP opposition day motion to extend Mr. Page’s term until his successor is found. The motion was defeated by a vote of 157 to 131. The motion, which is not binding, also called on the House of Commons to “reaffirm the essential role of the Parliamentary Budget Officer in providing independent analysis to Parliamentarians on the state of the nation’s finances, trends in the Canadian economy and the estimates process” and called on the government to make the office an independent officer of Parliament similar to the auditor general or Ethics Commissioner.
The majority-governing Conservatives, whose government created the position under its Federal Accountability Act in 2006 and appointed Mr. Page to the position in March 2008, voted against the motion.
Under the Federal Accountability Act which created the Parliamentary Budget Office, and which amends the Parliament of Canada Act, the government can renew the PBO’s term for up to five years.
In this case, since the government is clear it does not want Mr. Page in the position, it could renew his term for a shorter period, perhaps one year, until his successor is found.
The government, however, is choosing to leave the position vacant and allowing the Library of Parliament to go ahead with its search through headhunting firm Renaud Foster.
When asked why, PMO press secretary Julie Vaux said in an email: “We want to see a Parliamentary budget officer that is a non-partisan, credible source of opinion on fiscal matters. The Parliamentary librarian has retained a search firm. We have no intention to move the Parliamentary budget officer outside of the Library of Parliament.”
NDP MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park, Ont.), her party’s finance critic, told The Hill Times last week that it will be a disservice to Canadians if a Parliamentary budget officer is not in place when the government introduces its next budget.
“We have to have public accountability. One of the most crucial things for MPs do, on behalf of our constituents, is provide that oversight for the tax dollars that come in and the moneys that get spent. Especially with this government and the hundreds and hundreds of pages of massive omnibus budget bills, without adequate study, without adequate examination and debate, it’s been almost impossible to do a thorough analysis, and the PBO’s role is essential in terms of being able to give us an honest appraisal when he can get the data,” Ms. Nash said.
“They could’ve easily decided to do that [extend Mr. Page’s term or appoint someone temporarily] and I think it’s sad that a party that rode into Ottawa on the issue of public accountability and good public administration is now going to leave this critical position vacant throughout the whole budget process period in Canada. That’s not accountability for Canadians,” Ms. Nash said.
Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, Ont.) said last week that the government “sees value” in the Parliamentary Budget Office, and is waiting for the normal appointment process to take its course. In the meantime, he said, the office will still continue to run and invited MPs to read the budget when it’s tabled.
“Again, the office will continue to operate. I think it’s also important to recognize that during the budgetary cycle which we’re in right now, there’s all forms of work that’s ongoing. As the search goes for a replacement for a new Parliamentary budget officer, these things will all come to pass. There will be a budget, and all members of parliament will have an opportunity to examine that, to read that budget, I hope they do, and to see the valuable measures that are put in place,” he said.
“I think ultimately Canada’s been exceptionally well managed from a financial standpoint. That’s been acknowledge even from the Parliamentary budget officer himself on many occasions. We continue to dramatically narrow the deficit, to grow the economy, to grow jobs and opportunity, that’s the job of the minister of finance, he’s doing a good job on it and we look forward to working with the office of the Parliamentary budget officer through the Library of Parliament in the future,” Mr. Del Mastro said.
The position is made through a governor-in-council appointment from a list of three names drawn up by a committee chaired by the Parliamentary librarian and given to the government House leader. The person is appointed for a five-year renewable term.
While the Library of Parliament undergoes this search, currently being conducted by firm Renaud Foster, reports out of the office will not be released.
“They [staff under Mr. Page] don’t have a mandate to do so, because without the position of the PBO, they just become the employees of the Library of Parliament. They have no expressability to publish reports, there’s no mandate for them to do that,” Ms. Nash said.
Mr. Page said he doesn’t know what will happen if there is no officer in place to release reports the office is currently working on.
“As to be expected, the PBO prepares budget analysis. Under a Finance Committee motion, the budget officer and PBO colleagues appear as witnesses to explain their work and field questions from all committee members. The exchange of views can generate work for the PBO to help Parliamentarians with their roles in scrutinizing legislation related to the budget and appropriations. Will this take place this year, if there is no budget officer in place? I do not know. Are there key reports that might not be released if there is no Parliamentary Budget Officer in place by the end of March?” Mr. Page said. “In the meantime, the PBO will be busy over the next month putting out reports on the feasibility of budget for acquisition for joint support ships, main and supplementary estimates, and other issues.”
Mr. Page also noted that the PBO will host the fifth annual OECD meeting of legislative budget officials in Ottawa this week.
After Renaud Foster collects candidates, a selection committee made up of former high-level bureaucrats and others will review the possibilities and submit a shortlist of three candidates to the government, who will make the final selection.
When Mr. Page was appointed, it took eight months from the hiring of a search firm to the announcement of his appointment. Under a similar timeline, the new PBO would not be in place until September 2013.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich Gulf-Islands, B.C.) said last week that she was “very sad” the opposition day motion was defeated because it should be a non-partisan issue. She said that the majority-governing Conservatives have handled the office poorly simply because the government does not like dissenting opinions.
“I think it’s unfortunate because it’s obviously to Stephen Harper’s credit that he created the position,” Ms. May said, noting that as Mr. Page’s term comes to an end, he should be receiving “accolades” from all parties for his important work.
“You don’t always have to like what information has been presented, but it’s really important information,” she said. “Here’s a really great idea for which Stephen Harper could’ve gotten credit, and because of a certain level of mean spiritedness and an overly thin skin and the way the Prime Minister’s Office reacts to things it’s petulance and defensive,” she said. “I hope somebody good will come along and fill [Mr. Page’s] shoes, but it’s like filling in an application form to be the latest piñata—who wants to apply to be the piñata? Those are my feelings. I think it’s a shame the vote didn’t pass. I think it would’ve been a classy thing for the Conservatives to step up and defend the office they created and the person they put in the job.”
Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Ont.) agreed, saying if the Conservatives were serious about transparency and accountability, it would support the office and build confidence in Canadian democracy rather than resorting to partisan attacks.
“I think an MP or government here that isn’t committed to increasing confidence levels in Canadian society around the functioning of our parliamentary institutions, I think that’s very irresponsible today. Anything we can do here to drive up trust and confidence in Parliament, and institutions here, is really necessary at a time when I think democracy in Canada is in trouble,” he said.
“I dare Mr. Harper to close it down. He’s not that foolish. I think he will just simply leave it as it. They will be much more careful in the choice of another PBO. They may even look to circumscribe the mandate or they may continue to cut the Library of Parliament’s budget. … I’m very disappointed in Mr. Harper. He came here proclaiming the gospel of accountability and I guess all those lessons have been lost,” said Mr. McGuinty.
Mr. Del Mastro said the government will appoint a new person to staff the office.
“That search is under way. We see value in that,” he said. “I think as you can expect, when the government departments, deputy ministers and ministries come to different conclusions, from time to time, with the Parliamentary budget officer, whoever that is, there will be disagreements. That’s not a bad thing. That’s simply a difference of opinion that will occur from time to time, ultimately it’s up to the government to demonstrate leadership and to focus on the priorities of Canadians. That’s what we’ve done.”
Original Article
Source: hilltimes.com
Author: BEA VONGDOUANGCHANH
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