Liberals Nominate Budget Officer, Conservatives Cry Foul

0:00The liberal government has nominated a net Ryan to serve a full seven-year term as Canada's parliamentary budget officer. This move has sparked controversy, with conservatives accusing the liberals of firing the current interim officer for speaking truth to power. In reality, the interim officer remains on staff at the office. Earlier this week, the conservative party sent emails to supporters framing the nomination as an attempt to silence a watchdog. This echoes events from February 2013, when opposition parties pushed to extend the term of the first budget officer, Kevin Page, amid tensions with the conservative government at the time. Canadians from all parties agree on the need for a strong independent budget officer to hold governments accountable and inform public debate. Conservative leader Pierre Poilevera publicly called for the interim officer to get the full term back in September. Meanwhile, with MPs voting on the latest federal budget next week, the interim officer estimates less than a 10% chance it will meet deficit.

1:03Targets. Opposition figures have slammed it as phony accounting. Lawmakers are now discussing reforms to the appointment process, like having an all-party committee vet candidates unanimously, similar to Ontario's. Model. This could reduce partisan fights and ensure Parliament truly owns the choice. That's your update from Toronto News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey, with the story.