Admittedly, the current omnibus bill of the Liberal Government is barely over 300 pages which makes it practically svelte compared to some of the whoppers introduced during the Harper era. In addition, the bill is primarily concerned with measures that were introduced in the last Liberal budget and that continues a common practice. However, it is at least ironic if not hypocritical to have the Liberals sponsoring this omnibus legislation at the same time that they are proposing changes to rule of procedure in the House of Commons that would prohibit the use of omnibus legislation.
Moreover, this omnibus bill doesn’t just address matters relating to the federal budget. As the opposition parties have pointed out, the bill includes changes to such legislation as the Judges Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, and the Food and Drug Act. In addition, it contains a new law, the Canada Infrastructure Bank Act, that arguably merits separate consideration on its own. It also makes changes to the Parliamentary Budget Office which have drawn strong criticisms from no less an authority than Kevin Page, the first PBO.
Is the PBO Strengthened or Weakened?
The government points out that changes in the omnibus bill would strengthen the PBO by making the position an independent officer of Parliament rather than, as now, only a part of the Library of Parliament – a reform that I had recommended in Reviving Canadian Democracy (p. 64). However, other changes in the bill appear to undermine the PBO’s independence. In particular, there would be new requirements to have the Speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate review and approve an annual PBO work plan. This arrangement, according to Kevin Page, appears to remove the power of individual MPs (often opposition MPs) to ask for a PBO investigation of the cost of government initiatives – the kind of query, for example, that revealed how badly the former Conservative Government had been under-estimating the cost of purchasing new F-35 fighter planes. The Speakers of the Commons and Senate would also receive advance copies of any PBO report, unlike the current arrangements under which the PBO is free to release its reports at any time on its website.
Not What the Voters Chose
Rejecting a decade of Conservative rule characterized by anti-democratic practices was a major factor causing the Liberal election victory in 2015. It is disappointing to find the new government reverting to some of the practices of its predecessor that had been so strongly rejected. Such actions add to public cynicism about politicians and will do nothing to help the Liberal prospects for re-election.