OGGO - 2025-09-16
Opening Remarks
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By: Jason Jacques, Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer
Good morning Mr. Chair and distinguished members of the Committee.
Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today.
My name is Jason Jacques, and I am honoured to serve Parliament as the Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer.
As I begin my tenure, I want to take a moment to recognize my predecessor, Mr. Yves Giroux. He set a high standard of excellence, which was recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), who ranked Canada as the top independent fiscal institution in the world. I along with the entire team at the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, are dedicated to upholding the quality and integrity of the work he championed.
My primary message to this Committee today is one of stability and continuity. Our office remains steadfastly committed to its core mandate: providing independent, non-partisan analysis of the nation’s finances, the Government’s estimates, and the Canadian economy.
Parliamentarians and the public can be confident that our work will continue without interruption. We will continue to provide the clear, accessible, and transparent analysis that you expect from our office. Our work will always be guided by evidence and a firm commitment to supporting informed debate within these walls and across the country.
To that end, last week we released an analysis of family wealth distribution and later this week we will publish updated analysis of federal infrastructure spending.
We recognize that this Committee and all of Parliament face key budgetary issues in the months ahead, and that your decisions will impact all Canadians. To that end, I want to extend a clear and open invitation. Our door is open. We are here to support your work. We encourage you and your staff to reach out for briefings or with any questions you may have. We promise to be responsive, clear, and impartial.
As members of this Committee are aware, I have already reached out to your offices to offer briefings regarding our plans for the coming months.
Thank you for your time. I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.