The speed at which Canada obtains its military equipment following the government’s budgetary allocations could be improved significantly if Ottawa were to cut down on the number of ministers overseeing those procurements, says Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Yves Giroux. Giroux told the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence on June 9 that the…

Canada’s federal debt-to-GDP ratio will grow and remain above its 2022–23 level for two years before gradually declining over the medium term, according to an assessment by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), despite the federal government’s earlier promises of deficit reduction. Budget 2023 projected that the ratio would rise from 42.4 percent in 2022–23 to 43.5…

Canada’s federal government is among the worst of the G7 countries when it comes to publishing public spending accounts on time, says the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO). “In comparison to other G7 countries Canada was among the last to publish their financial accounts,” Yves Giroux wrote to the House of Commons government operations and estimates…

OTTAWA—The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government’s plan to extend its wage subsidy will push the overall price for the program to almost $106.7 billion. The budget officer’s report released this morning estimates that the majority, about $4.8 billion, in subsidies will flow to businesses that continue to see a steep, and persistent drop…

OTTAWA—Parliament’s budget watchdog is predicting another multibillion-dollar increase in the cost of a new fleet of warships for the Royal Canadian Navy, pegging the price for what was already the largest military procurement in Canada’s history at more than $77 billion. Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux’s latest estimate is $17 billion more than the government’s…

OTTAWA—The parliamentary budget office says it could cost the federal government up to $15 billion to compensate First Nations families and children impacted by the child welfare system, as well as denials or delays of essential services. The figure updates the budget office’s initial estimate to include thousands more children, parents and grandparents who would…

OTTAWA—As the government moves to train 4,000 new personal support workers across the country, Parliament’s budget watchdog estimates it will cost $38.5 million over two years. A costing note from the parliamentary budget office Tuesday says the federal government proposes to fund a six-week accelerated online program and four-month internship. Parts of the country have…