OECD criticizes Ottawa over 'persistent delays' in appointing new budget officer

Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques speaks with a senator as he waits to appear before a Senate committee in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — An international economic group is criticizing the federal government over “persistent delays” in appointing new parliamentary budget officers, just as the current officer’s interim term is set to expire on Monday with no successor named.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, better known as the OECD, released its analysis of Canada’s parliamentary budget office earlier this week as part of a series on fiscal monitors among member countries.

The OECD report gave a largely glowing review to Canada’s PBO, which it called a “non-partisan, credible and effective” office that boosts fiscal transparency in the federal government.

Canada ranks first among all OECD countries on the organization’s Fiscal Advocacy Index for the PBO’s contributions to fiscal accountability.

But the report also offers a series of recommendations for strengthening the PBO — especially the appointment process.

“Persistent delays in permanent leadership appointments and reliance on interim arrangements present risks for the PBO’s independence and stability,” the report read.

Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques, who was appointed to the role on an interim basis in September, reaches the end of his six-month term on Monday and the government has not yet named a permanent replacement.

If no budget officer is in place — interim or otherwise — when that term expires, the PBO would be left unable to publish any fiscal analysis until someone new is appointed.

The parliamentary budget officer is selected through the governor-in-council appointment process for a seven-year term which requires parliamentary approval. A posting for the permanent role went live in November.

Jacques said he would apply for the permanent posting. He told The Canadian Press that as of Wednesday, he had not heard anything from the Privy Council Office about succession plans.

“A selection process is underway to identify the next PBO. Information regarding the appointment of a PBO will be made available in due course,” a Privy Council Office spokesman said in an email to The Canadian Press on Wednesday.

Jacques, a mainstay of the PBO before stepping into the top role six months ago, was tapped over the Labour Day long weekend last year to take on the interim position when outgoing budget officer Yves Giroux’s term was set to expire without a successor.

The OECD report warned that “delays in appointing a new leader and use of interim arrangements can weaken the institution’s leadership and stability.”

The report suggested removing the possibility of consecutive appointments — which it said could encourage incumbents to soften their analysis in hopes of securing a second term.

The OECD argued that interim appointments — which come with no parliamentary oversight and no limits on consecutive terms — could be exploited for partisan interests.

Jacques made a splash soon after his appointment in September with a blunt review of what he called Ottawa’s “unsustainable” fiscal track. The federal Conservatives pushed for him to take on the role permanently and claimed the Liberals would use the interim title to keep Jacques on a “short leash” and fire him if they didn’t like his conclusions.

“Legislative amendments should set clear arrangements for timely appointments, remove reappointment options, and introduce structured interim arrangements with cross-party backing,” the OECD report reads.

The OECD also urged Ottawa to grant new powers to the office that would give it better access to information outside of current informal agreements across government departments. The budget office has reported delays in recent months in getting information on planned workforce adjustments from certain departments.

The report also made recommendations to improve the PBO’s workflow and communications strategies.

The PCO spokesman said the federal government is aware of the OECD’s analysis and will be reviewing the recommendations in the report.

The OECD said “timely, independent analysis” from the PBO will be critical for Ottawa as it faces a series of economic and fiscal challenges.

“Canada’s changing fiscal context — marked by shifting trade dynamics, heightened national security concerns and rising public debt — underscores the need for action to restore public finance,” it said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press