• NDP Private Member’s Bill Would Make the Parliamentary Budget Officer an Independent Officer of Parliament
• Bill Will Deliver on 2006 Conservative Party Campaign Promise

OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on MPs from every political party to support the NDP’s Bill C-476 when it comes up for debate this morning in the House of Commons, to make the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) a completely independent officer of Parliament.

“The CTF has long called on MPs to make the PBO a fully-independent officer of Parliament,” said CTF Federal Director Gregory Thomas. “Taxpayers deserve a truly independent look at the $282.6 billion of spending schedule to flow out of Ottawa this year. The CTF also noted the unusual irony that this NDP bill, in fact, delivers on the Conservative’s 2006 commitment.

“This legislation from the Leader of the Official Opposition will finally deliver on the Conservative Party’s 2006 campaign promise,” continued Thomas.

The Conservatives were elected in the wake of the Sponsorship Scandal on a promise to pass an Accountability Act that would, in their own words from their official campaign
platform:

• Create an independent Parliamentary Budget Authority to provide objective analysis directly to Parliament about the state of the nation’s finances and trends in the national economy.
• Require government departments and agencies to provide accurate, timely information to the Parliamentary Budget Authority to ensure it has the information it needs to provide accurate analyses to Parliament.
  
• Ensure that government fiscal forecasts are updated quarterly and that they provide complete data for both revenue and spending forecasts.

“We call on every MP, especially Conservatives elected in 2006, to stand up for the independence of Canada’s Parliament, and its sovereign duty to hold the government to account for every single taxpayer’s dollar it spends,” said Thomas.

Bill C-476 will separate the Parliamentary Budget Officer from the Library of Parliament, giving the PBO the power to hire and fire staff and manage the office’s own expenditures, within the budget granted by the Parliament. MPs and Senators would each vote on the appointment, and the government would need to consult with all political parties prior to nominating a new PBO. A six month deadline for choosing a replacement at the end of the PBO’s term would prevent the government from leaving the office vacant, as is the current situation.

The bill would also discourage government stonewalling on requests for financial information, mandating “free and timely access to any data, information, records, explanations and assistance the PBO considers necessary” – the Federal Court could even order the government to hand over the data if the government is improperly withholding it.

“To hold the line on spending, MPs need the government to open its books to the PBO,” said Thomas. Canadians are fed up with the stalling, stonewalling, grandstanding and game-playing. MPs need to support C-476 and make it law.”