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A committee of MPs is asking the government for a shortlist of candidates as it seeks to find a new permanent parliamentary budget officer (PBO) — after the interim fiscal watchdog raised concerns about Canada’s finances.
A motion adopted at the House government operations committee on Thursday is also requesting that a subcommittee be allowed to interview the potential candidates behind closed doors — and make recommendations to the government on who should be selected for the permanent position.
“I believe there needs to be a PBO appointed to full-time position who is vetted by parliamentarians,” said Conservative MP Kelly Block, who moved the motion.
The motion was adopted with Conservatives and Bloc members voting in favour while the Liberals voted against.
The PBO is a nonpartisan officer of Parliament, providing independent economic and financial analysis to the Senate and the House of Commons.
As it stands, the PBO is appointed by the government after conducting consultations with the leaders of recognized parties and groups in both houses of Parliament. According to the Parliament of Canada Act, the appointment must also be approved by both chambers.
Block said the interview process she proposed should be considered part of the consultation process outlined in the act.
Thursday’s motion was adopted in the wake of the government appointing Jason Jacques to the PBO role on an interim basis earlier this fall.
Conservative MP Kelly Block called on the government to allow an MP subcommittee to interview candidates for the PBO role. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)In one of his first committee appearances in September, Jacques criticized the government’s spending as as "stupefying," "shocking" and "unsustainable."
Last week, in the wake of the Liberal government releasing its budget, Jacques released a new report that slightly contrasted his earlier remarks. He said that while the government is unlikely to meet its deficit targets, the federal finances are sustainable over the long term.
The government released a posting for a permanent PBO shortly after the budget was released that called for applicants with "tact and discretion.”
During Thursday’s committee meeting, Conservative MP Tamara Jansen asked Jacques about the wording in the job posting and suggested the government wants someone who might be less keen to criticize its fiscal position.
“It kind of sounds like they want to make sure that somebody’s going to keep things on the downlow,” Jansen said.
WATCH | Watchdog takes aim at Liberal budget:Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques called out the government’s accounting, saying there’s a less than 10 per cent chance it will stay within its deficit targets. CBC’s Mark Carcasole shares more on this.Jacques disagreed with her assessment. He said his interpretation of that wording applies to meetings he would have with all parliamentarians.
“Most of the meetings are in private, with their staff and none of that information is divulged with other parliamentarians. And that’s important and you need someone who can be discreet, not share that information,” Jacques said.
The Conservatives have called on the Liberals to appoint Jacques to a full term, arguing the six-month interim period gives Ottawa the power to fire him over his criticisms. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office confirmed Jacques is able to apply for the permanent position.
A PBO can serve a term of up to seven years with a chance for renewal.