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OTTAWA — Canada’s budget watchdog is asking MPs to get to the bottom of why the Harper government is spending billions less than it budgets for, or Parliament authorizes.

Jean-Denis Fréchette, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, says in a report that the government has been unable to, or not spent, about $10 billion — $700 per household on average — that the House of Commons has approved in each of the past three years.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or PBO asks why government of Canada is asking for $5.4B more when it has left $10B unspent Back to video

The issue arises again, the PBO says, because the government is asking for an additional $5.4-billion to spend in the latest supplementary estimates and — given the record — it is unclear whether all, or any of it, is required.

“As suggested in the report, Parliament may want to examine whether all of the $5.4B sought in these supplementary estimates is actually required and, if so, what measures will be undertaken by departments and agencies to ensure that spending approved by Parliament occurs,” Frechette said.