Budget watchdog nominee Annette Ryan set to testify at finance committee

Annette Ryan speaks at the Standing Committee on Finance in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — House of Commons (Mandatory Credit)

OTTAWA — Ottawa’s choice for the next federal fiscal watchdog is set to face questions from MPs before she can be confirmed as the next parliamentary budget officer.

Annette Ryan, a longtime public servant and the current deputy director at Canada’s financial intelligence agency, Fintrac, was named as cabinet’s pick to become the next parliamentary budget officer earlier this month.

Ryan’s nomination has to be approved by the House of Commons and the Senate and she’ll face questions from MPs on the finance committee this afternoon.

Interim PBO Jason Jacques’ term expired at the start of March and the position has been vacant ever since, which means the office can’t publish reports or take on new work from parliamentarians.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and some other MPs have called for Jacques to be given the permanent gig because they liked how he held Liberals to account for spending decisions over the course of his six-month term.

Ryan is a Rhodes Scholar with degrees from Acadia University and Oxford University and she has served in a variety of roles across Canada’s public service during her career.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2026.

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press