Parliament of Canada Act

Marginal note:Mandate — Parliament not dissolved

• 79.2 (1) During periods when Parliament is not dissolved, the Parliamentary Budget Officer

  • (a) may prepare reports containing the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s analysis of any of the following federal government documents:

    • (i) a budget tabled by or on behalf of the Minister of Finance,

    • (ii) an economic and fiscal update or statement issued by the Minister of Finance,

    • (iii) a fiscal sustainability report issued by the Minister of Finance,

    • (iv) the estimates of the government for a fiscal year;

  • (b) may prepare reports on matters of particular significance relating to the nation’s finances or economy that are listed in an annual work plan;

  • (c) shall, if requested to do so by any of the following committees, undertake research into and analysis of matters relating to the nation’s finances or economy:

    • (i) the Standing Committee on National Finance of the Senate or, if there is not a Standing Committee on National Finance, the appropriate committee of the Senate,

    • (ii) the Standing Committee on Finance of the House of Commons or, if there is not a Standing Committee on Finance, the appropriate committee of the House of Commons,

    • (iii) the Standing Committee on Public Accounts of the House of Commons or, if there is not a Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the appropriate committee of the House of Commons,

    • (iv) the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates of the House of Commons or, if there is not a Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, the appropriate committee of the House of Commons;

  • (d) shall, if requested to do so by a committee of the Senate or of the House of Commons, or a committee of both Houses, that is mandated to consider the estimates of the government, undertake research into and analysis of those estimates;

  • (e) shall, if requested to do so by a committee of the Senate or of the House of Commons, or a committee of both Houses, estimate the financial cost of any proposal that relates to a matter over which Parliament has jurisdiction; and

  • (f) shall, if requested to do so by a member of the Senate or of the House of Commons, estimate the financial cost of any proposal that relates to a matter over which Parliament has jurisdiction.

• Marginal note:Reports to be tabled

  (2) The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall provide any report prepared under paragraph (1)(a) or (b) to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, who shall each table the report in the House over which he or she presides. The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall make the report available to the public one business day after the day on which the report is provided to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons.

• Marginal note:Request by committee

  (3) The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall provide a report containing the research and analysis or estimate requested by a committee under paragraph (1)(c), (d) or (e) to the chair of the committee that requested it. The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall make the report available to the public one business day after the day on which the report is provided to the chair of the committee that requested it.

• Marginal note:Request by member

  (4) The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall provide a report containing the estimate requested under paragraph (1)(f) to the member of the Senate or of the House of Commons who requested it. The Parliamentary Budget Officer shall make the report available to the public one business day after the day on which the report is provided to the member.

• Marginal note:If Parliament is dissolved

  (5) If Parliament is dissolved before a report is provided to the chair of the committee or to the member under subsection (3) or (4), the Parliamentary Budget Officer shall discontinue work on the request.