This bill amends the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act to create the independent budget officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. The independent officer's mandate is to provide objective, timely analysis and updates to the Legislative Assembly about the estimates of government, the state of the province's finances and trends in the B.C. economy, to undertake research regarding the province's finances when requested to do so by certain standing committees and members of the assembly and to provide estimates of the cost of proposals contained in legislation.I can't find the text for bill M101 online, but that sounds good to me. Do any other provinces have anything like a PBO?The independent budget officer is entitled to a right of access to data necessary for the performance of his or her mandate.
I move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting after today.
(Hat tip again to Vaughn Palmer / Vancouver Sun)
