TORONTO – Economist Jean-Denis Frechette will be the new Parliamentary Budget Officer, but his predecessor warns it’s a “difficult job.”
Frechette is currently the senior director of the Economics, Resources and International Affairs Division of the Library of Parliament.
He will replace Kevin Page, whose term expired in March.
In an email to Global News, Page said he wished Frechette the very best, but hinted at a double-edged sword.
“If you do the job, you risk getting the government upset with the analysis of the office. If you do not do your job (e.g., avoid the tough files or prepare weak analysis) you risk the wrath of Members of Parliament, the media and Canadians,” wrote Page.
Federal sources say Frechette was one of three people on the Conservative government’s short list and he was the only candidate given a briefing about the inner workings of the budget office. However, he has apparently never been involved in developing or analyzing a federal budget.
“Mr Frechette is a smart man but has no experience working at a central agency on a federal budget,” wrote Page. “He must now provide independent economic and fiscal analysis to Parliament and Canadians on the nation’s finances.”
Page suggested Frechette surround himself with “knowledgeable and experienced people” on fiscal forecasting and analysis.
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NDP finance critic Peggy Nash congratulated Frechette, but said the NDP is disappointed that Conservatives “refused to consult with the Official Opposition, refused to have a transparent hiring and allowed the whole process to become tainted by Conservative political staff inappropriately included in the hiring committee.”
“It is now up to Mr. Flaherty and the Conservatives to make it clear that they will give Mr. Fréchette the independence he needs to serve parliamentarians and maintain the first class organization Mr. Page had built,” read the statement, issued Friday afternoon.
“The new PBO will face a number of challenges as uncertainties remain about the mandate, the role, and the future of the body,” an International Monetary Fund report of global budget watchdogs said earlier this month.
The report suggested tensions between Page and the government stemmed from confusion regarding roles and responsibilities of the budget office, which was located in the office of the Library of Parliament and hence gave Page “fewer teeth” than similar officers around the world.
An independent fiscal watchdog for Parliament was a key Conservative accountability promise when they first came to power in 2006. The party had long complained of Liberals fudging the books, particularly by low-balling surplus projections.
The job posting by the Library of Parliament included the search for a candidate with “experience in negotiating and achieving consensus on complex issues among a variety of stakeholders with competing objectives.”
The Conservatives have also repeated that they were seeking someone “non-partisan” for the job. Their relationship with Page was strained after he provided reports on costs such as the Afghan military mission and fighter jet procurement programs.
Page had taken the government to Federal Court in an effort to clarify his mandate after being stonewalled on his requests for basic departmental financial information relating to last year’s budget cuts.
With files from The Canadian Press
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