By Canadian Press

MPs to vote on spending plans without complete picture of COVID-19 aid, PBO says

Jun 16, 2020 | 7:43 AM

OTTAWA — The parliamentary budget officer says new spending estimates tabled by the Trudeau Liberals don’t provide a complete picture of how much the government will spend on COVID-19-related aid.

The supplementary spending estimates detail roughly $81 billion in already approved spending and about $6 billion more in measures MPs are set to vote on.

But budget officer Yves Giroux notes in a report this morning that a number of measures promised by the government aren’t included because they don’t come out of what’s known as the consolidated revenue fund.

Left out of the estimates are cost details on the $45-billion wage subsidy program delivered through the tax system, and a loan program to small- and medium-sized businesses that will open applications to a wider number of companies on Friday.

Giroux warns it will be difficult to get answers about the estimates from federal officials because MPs will only debate the estimates for four hours under a deal agreed to last month by a majority of parties.

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The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have been demanding more transparency from the government around its spending and fiscal projections, but the NDP is expected to support the spending measures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2020.

The Canadian Press