The Parliamentary Budget Officer held office “during pleasure,” meaning removal could occur at the discretion of the Governor in Council, without cause.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer may only be removed for cause, and only by the Governor in Council on address of both the Senate and House of Commons (s. 79.1).
Institutional Status
The Parliamentary Budget Officer operated as an officer within the Library of Parliament, limiting its administrative independence.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer is recognised as an independent officer of Parliament, with the rank of a deputy head and full control over office management (s. 79.01 and s. 79.11).
Operational Autonomy
The Parliamentary Budget Officer had to rely on Library of Parliament for its financial and human resources.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer is recognised as an independent officer of Parliament, with the rank of a deputy head and full control over office management (s. 79.01 and s. 79.11).
Budget
The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s budget was embedded within the Library of Parliament’s overall allocation, without a distinct line item - making it vulnerable to delays and reductions.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s budget appears as a separate line item. It is set by the Parliamentary Budget Officer in consultation with the Speakers of both Houses before being included in the government’s estimates (s. 79.11 (8 and 9)).
Access to Information
The Parliamentary Budget Officer frequently reported challenges in obtaining necessary data, while federal officials expressed concerns about the burden of responding to requests.
Legislative changes have clarified and strengthened the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s right to access information (s. 79.4).
Election Proposal Costing
The Parliamentary Budget Officer did not provide any election costing services.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer provides political parties, at their request, with estimates of the financial cost of election campaign proposals they are considering making when Parliament is dissolved (s. 79.21).
