Bill Morneau disagrees with PBO report that budget was not 'fully transparent'

Finance Minister BillMorneausays he disagrees with the federal budget watchdog's analysis that the Liberals were not as transparent as they should have been with their first budget, making it more difficult for parliamentarians to scrutinize government spending.

The Parliamentary Budget Office said in a report on Wednesday that the Liberal government's fiscal plan was less transparent than those of previous governments a surprising assessmentgiven thata dispute over fiscal secrecy between the former budget watchdog and the Conservative government landed in court in 2013.

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"I don't see it that way at all,"Morneausaid on Thursday during an interview with CBC Radio'sMetro Morning.

"We believe that we've given Canadians a clear and transparent understanding of the current state of Canada's finances and putting forth in our budget the kind of measures that can make a real difference."

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Among the watchdog's concerns isthe Liberal government's decisionto provide detailed costestimatesfor only two years of itsfive-year fiscal plan, as well as a $40-billionrisk adjustment which the budget watchdog said is"excessive."

"What the PBO says in two specific cases is something that I would just disagree with,"Morneautold CBC's Matt Gallowayon Thursday.

Inan interview with CBC News Network'sPower & Politicson Wednesday, assistantparliamentary budget officerMostafaAskari saidthe way the budget was presented "wasn't fully transparent."

"So we don't really knowwhat is going to happen to those measures after the second yearand that's something Parliament needs to know if they want to scrutinize the budget and see exactly what the government fiscal plan is."

Of the $40-billion risk adjustment, Askari said"the issue is that they used the private sector forecast to introduce an element of independence into their fiscal forecast. If you make a huge adjustment then that independence is gone because you're not really using the private sector forecast."

Askaritold CBC'sRosemary Barton theLiberals did not respond to thePBO'srequest for informationby the deadline of April 5.

"Absolutely, the numbers exist,but they haven't made them public. And we have asked for them and we have not received their response yet," Askari said.

Butsources toldCBC'sNeil Macdonaldon Wednesdaythe Finance Department did have the data, but was demanding that it be suppressed by the PBO.

Liberal budget less transparent than past spending plans: PBO

8 years ago

Duration 4:56

Liberal budget less transparent than past spending plans: PBO

Morneaudid not say why the Liberals chose not to make those figures public, only that the government had not failed in its pledge to be more transparent.

"I appreciate the Parliamentary Budget Office putting out this, it'll give us a sense of where the issues and concerns are, and our objective is to maintain a sense of openness and transparency. If there are challenges in people understanding what we're putting forth, we'll respond to those challenges."

"We believe we have been open and transparent,"Morneausaid.

The previous Conservative government accused former budget watchdog Kevin Page of operating "outside his mandate" and said he'd "overstepped" his bounds by asking federal departments to disclose all financial and economic information.

The Federal Courtdismissed the caseon a technicality.

In a turnabout on Wednesday, it was the Conservatives who called on the Liberal government to "open up the books" to the PBO.

"The parliamentary budget officer makes it quite clear that Parliament cannot do its job because the government does not have the numbers.It is clear the government does not want Canadians to have the information to be able to see how much the government is spending and where that money is going," saidPierrePoilievre,theOfficial Opposition critic for the Treasury Board,in a written statement.

"This is a damning report against the Liberals' budget."

Budget transparency?

8 years ago

Duration 13:31

MPs Marco Mendicino, Pierre Poilievre and Murray Rankin discuss the PBO's concerns that the budget was not fully transparent.