Article content continued

“Ultimately, parliamentarians will need to judge whether the government’s most recent efforts to align the budget and the estimates results in an improvement in their oversight role, and if they are willing to accept incomplete information and weaker spending controls to help the government to expedite the implementation of budget measures,” it read.

Poilièvre had wondered whether the government’s promise only to spend the money on specific budget initiatives was legally-binding.

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The PBO report has reflected that worry. “It is unclear that the proposed vote wording would restrict the government to funding each Budget 2018 measure in the amount set out … rather than changing the allocations across any initiative mentioned in Budget 2018.”

Meanwhile, NDP Treasury Board critic Daniel Blaikie was raising concerns that Liberals were continuing a pattern of trying to suppress Parliament. “Despite all the talk, the Liberals see Parliament as a real nuisance,” he had told the Post. “There have been several motions designed to circumvent Parliament and this is another instance of that.”

The report ultimately mirrored that concern, too. It suggested that the government could streamline its own internal processes to make spending more efficient “without the need for Parliament to cede information and control” — and characterized Vote 40 as an “important” turning point. While there has been a long-term trend towards greater parliamentary scrutiny, this move would yank back some control from elected officials.

Parliament is voting on $112.9 billion out of the year’s total $276 billion in expenditures, according to the PBO — the remaining $163.1 billion covers statutory spending already approved through other legislation, such as elderly benefits and health transfers to provinces.

Brison is scheduled to appear in committee on Thursday, where he is expected to face heavy questioning about his government’s decision.

• Email: mdsmith@postmedia.com | Twitter: mariedanielles