During an open forum hosted by the Older Canadians Network, former federal budgetary watchdog Kevin Page speaks about the bumpy ride he had in office.
Federal Conservatives sure liked to talk about accountability while in opposition. In power? Not so much.
Kevin Page, Canada’s first parliamentary budget officer, said no governments want more accountability. It’s not even a partisan issue.
That puts a budget watchdog in a very difficult situation.
While appointing Page to the job to fulfill his own election promise, Stephen Harper made the appointment at the “pleasure” of the Prime Minister’s office, not that of Parliament.
Appearing in Toronto Wednesday to accept a humanitarian award from the Older Canadians Network, Page said the appointment by the PM’s office meant he could be removed from office at any time by the Prime Minister’s office – a major flaw in the design.
The legislation creating the parliamentary budget watchdog never protected for what Page calls “analytical dissonance.”
When he was first appointed five years ago, opposition members on committees just assumed he was the “PM’s guy.”
OPSEU Diablogue 