By Canadian Press

Parliamentary budget officer rebukes Trudeau government over spending secrecy

Nov 4, 2020 | 8:24 AM

OTTAWA — Parliament’s budget watchdog is calling out the Trudeau government for not providing information on billions of dollars in planned federal spending.

The parliamentary budget office takes aim at the government’s spending secrecy in two separate reports released this morning.

The first says the Liberals have not provided detailed information on their recent request to Parliament for $79 billion in additional spending authorities, most of which the government says is for COVID-19 relief. 

The second report looks at the cost associated with new legislation designed to close the pay gap between men and women doing similar work in federally regulated workplaces.

While the PBO estimates the government will shell out at least $600 million per year for pay equity, it says that number only accounts for about 30 per cent of jobs affected by the new pay-equity law.

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The budget office says the real cost will be substantially higher, but that while the Trudeau government knows how much, it is refusing to provide that information.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2020.

The Canadian Press