Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Annette Ryan says the spring economic update that the government released this week lacks details on spending targets and specific objectives.
Testifying before the House of Commons government operations committee on April 30, Ryan said the document provides some metrics on the government’s progress, but “few mentions of risks and specific objectives.”
“The update instead introduced a range of new and rather undefined priorities, strategies, and general objectives that similarly would benefit from greater accountability, details on governance, and other aspects of planning,” Ryan said.
Ryan said the Canada Strong Fund announced this week is “a leading example from that list.” The federal government is contributing $25 billion to the new sovereign wealth fund, which will back major projects deemed of national interest. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has suggested the money for the fund will be borrowed….