Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page May Take Government to Court

[Lucy Goosey]

OTTAWA—Budget watchdog Kevin Page may take the Harper government to court now that federal officials have turned down Page’s latest request for more information on how spending cuts will impact Canadians.

The government has already “shared extensive data with you on Budget 2012,” Wayne Wouters, the clerk of the Privy Council, says in his latest letter to Page, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).

Page is engaged in tug of war with Wouters, who heads the government department that serves Prime Minister Stephen Harper, over how much information the government is willing to disclose on spending cuts in the budget.

While the government insists it is rolling out details on job cuts and changes in federal programs in keeping with normal parliamentary practices, Page says the Conservatives are holding back information, with the result that Members of Parliament will be voting on the budget before they know its full impact.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1261875--parliamentary-budget-officer-kevin-page-may-take-government-to-court

[MAD Dave]

1. This is the current state of affairs in Ottawa

I have always found it staggering that a party originally founded on transparency and reform has degenerated into the current "cheat, lie, copy and steal" government of today.

I sincerely hope that Canadians recognize this in 2015 and send PM Harper and the neocons home.