Court rules Kevin Page had the right to demand documents but his successor will likely be servant of Harper.
by Samantha Bayard
OTTAWA, April 22, 2013 (Straight Goods News) — On a day dominated by news of terrorism charges and new counter-terrorism legislation, the government suffered a new setback when the Federal Court ruled Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page had the right to request details of federal spending.
On a technicality, the court dismissed Page's application for a judgement on whether the PBO is entitled to demand government information on budget cuts and their effectiveness, but Judge Sean Harrington's strong message in a 23-page judgement is that the government cannot deny information to the PBO, and that the court may overrule the government if asked.
"If you read paragraphs 5 and 28 of the decision on the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s prerogatives," NDP leader Tom Mulcair said, "You’ll read a decision that comforts us in the position we’ve been taking all along, that Kevin Page had the right to demand those documents. The so-called privilege that existed of Parliament that the government was trying to set up as a barricade for him getting that information was false. That whole argument fell flat and the judge didn’t accept it. The judge did say that, however, the request should have been made for those specific documents and it wasn’t."
"It has reaffirmed the right of the Parliamentary Budget Officer to demand that information and we’re very happy with the decision." – Tom Mulcair 
Mulcair was the NDP’s Finance Critic when Kevin Page was chosen five years ago and was involved in the process, including interviewing Page. He fears times have changed and the Harper government will not elect a similarly independent PBO through a transparent process.
"The government insisted on a transparent process. Don’t forget it was the first law the Conservatives brought in. They wanted a Parliamentary Budget Officer who was above the fray, who could give really the reliable objective advice to parliamentarians. This time, it’s a completely opaque process. The information, unfortunately, that we’re getting is that it’s quite clear that a lot of the people who have applied are qualified for the job but it seems quite clear that there might be something else going on here. I think we’re going to just see another Conservative person pushed into that job. I’m very uncomfortable with the way it’s gone on. We haven’t been consulted on it. We haven’t seen a single thing, unlike the process that brought in Kevin Page."
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau was apparently uninformed of the ruling. "I’m not aware of the Court’s decision yet," he told reporters. "It’s not come down yet."
About Samantha Bayard
Samantha Bayard is a young journalist living and working out of Ottawa. She has been a contributor to the Straight Goods News family of websites since 2009. She is an avid cyclist and lover of animals.
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