On Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page’s last day of work, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, MP Saanich-Gulf Islands, praised him for his dedication, determination, and willingness to fight for Canadian democracy against formidable odds.
“The non-partisan work of the Parliamentary Budget Office has been enormously helpful to me and to the Green Party, even before I was elected as an MP. I have been very grateful for the deeper and more reflective work of Page and his small but dedicated team,” said May. “The reaction to his work from the Harper Conservatives has been a nasty, ad hominem campaign. He deserves the thanks and praise of every Canadian.”
The Green Party Leader stated that the Parliamentary Budget Officer must be fully independent, chosen by a majority of party leaders, and accountable to Parliament, not the Cabinet; he or she must have a clear mandate with adequate powers, security, and funding to ensure that the federal government and its various departments are open and honest about their spending plans and practices.
“Parliamentarians and citizens alike have had a crash course on how easy it is for taxpayers’ dollars to be spent without explanation, and how valued public services can be cut without scrutiny,” said May. “Now that we have seen how vulnerable our democratic system is in this and other areas, we must insist on immediate changes.”