S. L'Heureux appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer (interim)

Letter to Senator Downe, concerning the October 2012 request for the PBO to estimate the cost to the federal treasury of tax evasion:  illegal and intentional actions taken by individuals or firms to avoid paying their due tax.

Letter to Mr. Ian Shugart, HRSDC, re Costing of Bill C-464:  Parental Leave for Multiple Briths or Adoptions

Budget 2012 Monitoring Framework Updated to September 2012

Correspondence with Canadian Economic Development Agency re Expenditure Monitor 2012-13 Q2

Government departments have been asked to submit proposals to find budget reductions of 5% and 10%.  Parliamentary organizations have been asked to participate voluntarily.  The Library of Parliament has asked PBO for a proposal to reduce its budget by 5 and 10% and to assess the impact of each of these proposals.

PBO has adopted the government’s strategic review assessment model, which involves an assessment of the resources and activities used to deliver an organization’s legislated mandate.

PBO’s activities are focused exclusively on the requirements of its enabling legislation.  There are no extraneous activities. 

PBO delivers on a mandate that is as broad as or broader than comparable offices in other countries, and does so with fewer resources than its peers.  PBO uses its resources efficiently to deliver on its mandate largely by leveraging technology-based information, communication and publishing strategy.

Savings are possible but can only be obtained by changing the enabling legislation.

Legislative change is strictly within the purview of Parliament- PBO is not able to make any recommendation in this regard.

Media reports attributed to the President of the Treasury Board (PTB) claimed that average compensation figures contained in the Parliamentary Budget Office’s (PBO) report, The Fiscal Impact of Federal Personnel Expenses:  Trends and Developments, were inaccurate.  Further, PTB issued his own figures suggesting that actual average compensation is significantly lower than the PBO estimate.

On Tuesday, December 11, at 9 a.m., the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) will release a new report entitled“The Fiscal Impact of Federal Personnel Expenses:  Trends and Developments” (on the Web site at www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca).

The spreadsheet presents official government expenditure data by Program Activity between April and August 2012.  The framework relies on non-public data collected by the Receiver General of Canada pertaining to program activity expenditures, as well as non-public data shared by federal organizations regarding budgetary adjustments to planned program activity spending.

As well, a new tab has been added enumerating the Government’s performance indicators and targets for each program activity.

Today, the Parliamentary Budget Officer referred questions to the Federal Court which seek the Court’s guidance as to whether work requested by the Leader of the Official Opposition is within the PBO’s jurisdiction. The work requested asks the PBO to analyze the Government’s Estimates to determine if the savings contemplated are achievable and/or have longer term fiscal implications. 

The Budget 2012 Spending Reduction Monitoring Spreadsheet has been updated to reflect six additional responses.

IR0080 - Compliance Status as of November 7, 2012

IR0080 - Compliance Status as of November 5, 2012

IR0080 - Compliance Status Summary as of 11 a.m. November 1, 2012

As noted in earlier reports http://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/files/get/resources/76?path=%2Ffiles%2Ffiles%2FComparative+PAA_Monthly_July+2012_bilingual.xlsx , the framework relies on non-public data collected by the Receiver General of Canada pertaining to program activity expenditures, as well as non-public data shared by federal organizations regarding budgetary adjustments to planned program activity spending.

IR0080 - Compliance Status Summary as of October 26, 2012

Economic and Fiscal Outlook Update and An Assessment of Canada’s Labour Market Performance released

Concerns have recently been raised about the scope of the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s (PBO) legislative mandate. When the PBO obtained a legal opinion on his power of direct request, it was not apparent his mandate would also be challenged. While early in his term, the PBO received legal advice on his mandate’s scope and has been acting accordingly, these fresh challenges have prompted him to seek a comprehensive legal opinion. The PBO will not take any further action prior to receiving this opinion, which will be released as soon as possible. At the same time, the PBO continues to be open to communications with officials from the Privy Council Office regarding the provision of the requested information for Parliament.

IR0080 - Granted extension letter and distribution list

Information Request IR0080 sent to Deputy Ministers and equivalents on April 12, 2012, May 9, 2012 and October 2, 2012 requesting information with respect to Budget 2012 - particularly with respect to the savings and reduction measures.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO)  released a new report entitled "Fiscal Sustainability Report 2012" (on the Web site at www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca).

This report provides PBO’s assessment of the sustainability of government finances by sector (i.e., federal and provincial-territorial-local governments as well as the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans) over the long term.

The report presents estimates of recent policy changes (to the Canada Health Transfer, departmental spending and the Old Age Security program) on the fiscal sustainability of the federal and provincial-territorial-local government sectors. The report also includes a sensitivity analysis that considers different fiscal policy assumptions as well as alternative demographic and economic projections.

For additional information please contact our office at 613-992-8026.

The Parliament of Canada Web Site.