What do you think?
Rate this book
Unaccountable: Truth and Lies on Parliament Hill
A unique insider's account of the Harper government so damning that it cannot be ignored
In March 2008, Kevin Page was appointed by the federal Conservatives to be the country's first Parliamentary Budget Officer. The move fulfilled a Tory campaign promise to deliver greater government transparency and accountability. He was later denounced by the same people who appointed him to scrutinize their spending. When he challenged the government on several issues--most notably about the true costs of the F-35 fighter planes--and publicly claimed the government was misleading Canadians, Page was vilified. He was called "unbelievable, unreliable and incredible" by then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Page's term was not extended and he retired from the civil service.
Page's assessment of the F-35 procurement was proven right, a major embarrassment to the Harper government. But Page's overriding concern is that Parliament does not get the information and analysis it needs to hold the executive (the prime minister and cabinet) to account. Parliament, he argues, is broken, with power centralized in the PMO. The civil service appears cowed, and members of parliament almost never see enough financial analysis to support the policy decisions they make. That was true at various times on the tough-on-crime legislation, new military procurement as well as changes to the Canada Health Transfer and Old Age Security.
In this shocking insider's account, Page argues that democracy is being undermined by an increasingly autocratic government that does not respect facts that run counter to its political agenda. Elected officials need accurate, independently verified data to support the implementation of policies and programs. In Unaccountable, Page tells all Canadians why we should be concerned.
In March 2008, Kevin Page was appointed by the federal Conservatives to be the country's first Parliamentary Budget Officer. The move fulfilled a Tory campaign promise to deliver greater government transparency and accountability. He was later denounced by the same people who appointed him to scrutinize their spending. When he challenged the government on several issues--most notably about the true costs of the F-35 fighter planes--and publicly claimed the government was misleading Canadians, Page was vilified. He was called "unbelievable, unreliable and incredible" by then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Page's term was not extended and he retired from the civil service.
Page's assessment of the F-35 procurement was proven right, a major embarrassment to the Harper government. But Page's overriding concern is that Parliament does not get the information and analysis it needs to hold the executive (the prime minister and cabinet) to account. Parliament, he argues, is broken, with power centralized in the PMO. The civil service appears cowed, and members of parliament almost never see enough financial analysis to support the policy decisions they make. That was true at various times on the tough-on-crime legislation, new military procurement as well as changes to the Canada Health Transfer and Old Age Security.
In this shocking insider's account, Page argues that democracy is being undermined by an increasingly autocratic government that does not respect facts that run counter to its political agenda. Elected officials need accurate, independently verified data to support the implementation of policies and programs. In Unaccountable, Page tells all Canadians why we should be concerned.
215 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2015
2 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 26, 2016
I didn’t intend to read two non-fiction books, two books about economics, consecutively. That’s just how it happened. However, Unaccountable: Truth and Lies on Parliament Hill, is about as far away as you might get from
Trekonomics
. The latter is speculating on what might or could be; the former is a deeply personal tale about politics and events that actually happened. Kevin Page, who shares a hometown of Thunder Bay with me, recounts his time as the inaugural Parliamentary Budget Officer and the relationship of that office with the Harper government. He does not pull punches, but he also remains classy and complimentary to politicians and public servants alike.
First, a little context for my non-Canadian friends reading this: last October, we went to the polls for our 42nd general election. The campaign leading up to it, at 11 weeks, was the longest federal election campaign in our history (I can already sense my American friends gasping in envy at this number). The stakes were high: Stephen Harper’s Conservative party was attempting to form a fourth consecutive government, and a second majority government. Instead, owing to a combination of Conservative missteps during the campaign and probably just fatigue for the Conservatives’ time in office, the Liberals swept into power, going from 34 to 184 seats. Although many people and polls predicted a Liberal minority government, the dramatic Liberal win was a surprise to many people.
Unaccountable’s title sums up the nature of Page’s story. Over his nine years as Prime Minister, Harper consolidated executive power in the Prime Minister’s Office, the PMO. His initial victory over the Liberals was largely due to backlash over the sponsorship scandal; for this reason, he ran his campaign on promises of openness, transparency, and accountability. (None of this is new: the history of our Parliament is largely the Liberals and Conservatives trading the reins of power as one or the other regime gets brought down by a scandal caused by corruption and overconfidence. Neither party is inherently right or just. Also it’s worth noting that Harper’s Conservatives are actually a parasite that has zombified the corpses of several centre-right parties, so it’s a little unfair to compare them directly to previous incarnations of the Conservatives.) Creating the PBO, which Page himself likens to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, was Harper’s way of delivering on that promise.
This is all well and good. Alas, the Conservative government did not live up to these promises (surprise, surprise). Indeed, Harper’s time in office saw the government transform into one of Canada’s most secretive, closed, and retributive governments in our history. MPs were not allowed to give interviews. Directives went out from the PMO muzzling scientists and researchers. The government deliberately hobbled the census, because who needs statistics? And even as they claimed to be fiscally responsible, the government refused to produce reliable data to back up their claims.
Unaccountable is basically Page recounting all the times he called bullshit on the government’s numbers (or, more often, lack thereof) and then got told off, loudly and rudely, for, as he puts it, doing his job. From the first report his office produced—forecasting the long-term costs of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan—to the F-35 forecasts, the PBO came under fire from the government for exceeding its mandate and attempting to work with the opposition parties. Ironically, many of the emotionally-charged responses from the government to these reports were contributing factors to the two elections and two prorogations of Parliament that we experienced prior to 2015. Meanwhile, Page and his office just kept chugging along, hoping that by keeping the media on their side and sticking to what they did best—research and reporting—they would stay intact, if not exactly popular with the administration.
Although Page’s narration is quite focused, necessarily, on his actions and the actions of his team and the effects they had on the government, I wouldn’t say he’s trying to be remembered as a crusader against the Harper government, nor is he stroking ego. Rather, he simply is very passionate about and invested in the idea of an impartial and accountable civil service. He wants people to be inspired not just by himself but by the process and passion of him and his colleagues at the PBO. He is looking back on his five years as PBO and reflecting that he has done good, and it comes across that way. Moreover, he’s trying to drum up the excitement level and present these events in an interesting way. There is a reason for that.
This is an important book. Discussions of the civil service are not sexy. Canadians have a poor enough understanding of how our political system works as it is; I doubt most Canadians would be able to tell you what the PBO is or where it fits into our system (to be fair, I had no idea it had been shoved into the Library of Parliament org chart until I read this book). When a friend of mine asked me what this book is about, she responded that her attitude towards politics in one of “blissful ignorance.” This is coming from an intelligent and educated person. And it’s exactly the kind of response that allows people like Harper to strong-arm the government in a direction that isn’t good for our country.
Apathy is the enemy of a healthy democracy. Parliament governs through the will of the people. It exists to keep the executive in check. But if the people don’t care, then Parliament is de-fanged. And while our MPs are the heart and soul of Parliament, the untold legion of civil servants who run their offices and departments are its life-blood. They are the ones who draft our laws, vet our budgets, and prepare communiques. Without them, government would grind to a halt. And their integrity is paramount: they guard against ideology trumping reality. (Yeah, I used trumping there for a reason.)
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a left wing/right wing, Liberal versus Conservative thing. Page is critical of the Conservative government’s conduct when it comes to releasing data. He very carefully does not comment on the ideology behind the Conservatives’ policies, though, just their fiscal responsibility. And this is key, both to understanding Unaccountable as well as our politics. It is not the Conservatives’ ideology that is the issue here: rather, it’s the fact that they refused to provide the methodology and data used to arrive at their budgeting forecasts, and they consistently claimed that their policies would cost far less than they would in reality. This is not surprising; no government wants to look bad by saying they’re going to spend a ton of money. And that’s exactly what the PBO did by consistently releasing reports second-guessing what few numbers the Conservatives announced. Oopsie.
Replacing the Conservatives with a Liberal government is not a panacea. Page and his publisher very deliberately timed the release of this book to coincide with the upcoming election. It’s clear he hoped to make an impact, at least among the probably nerdy Canadians who were going to pick up this book in time for it to influence their vote. But ousting Harper doesn’t automatically fix anything—remember, when he was Leader of the Official Opposition, he was quite happy to go on about transparency, only to swiftly change tune when he became PM. And indeed, there are some warning signs that the Liberals are being recalcitrant about their numbers as well. I’d say I’m shocked, but….
Unless the government actually gives the PBO the power to compel the release of government data, there is little the PBO can do except make noise. Ultimately, it’s we—the ones who put the Liberals into government—who have the power. That’s why you should read the book. Yes, it is about economics and spending and politics. But it is not full of jargon. Indeed, Page provides succinct and clear descriptions of how the PBO did its research and produced its reports. Although I had been aware of Page and the PBO’s existence during his tenure there, I didn’t really understand how it operated. Now I know more!
Unaccountable is not a tell-all full of gossip on Parliament Hill. It’s the unsexy but still quite dramatic story of a guy trying to do his job so that we can stay informed. At times he gets personal, recounting a bit of biography and sharing the story of his son’s death and how that influenced his decision to apply for this job. Your mileage may vary for these details. What I can’t shake is how none of this civil service stuff gets taught in schools. Our civic education is laughably perfunctory—we’ve been lucky, coasting off the fact that Canada’s traditionally high immigrant ratio means we get so many talented people coming into our country and caring greatly about the political process because it’s what got them here in the first place, often from places where they have less of a voice. Those of us who have grown up here, in privileged families who, by dint of economic and ethnic status, are not often the target of government policy changes, except for the better (Harper’s “old stock” Canadians if you will) forget how good we have it. And we seldom learn about the essential role that public servants play in keeping it that way.
So, here’s my assignment to the class: read this. It is not a long book. It is 200 pages. It is not a superbly written book, but it isn’t hard to read either. I suspect for most of us, though, it will fill in unexpected gaps in our knowledge.
Democracy for the individual can be thought of as comprising two questions: What do I want this country to be? and Is the current government making it so? Only you can answer the first question. Neither Unaccountable nor I are out to shame you for being Liberal or Conservative, NDP or Green, Bloc or anything else: you do you. In order to answer that second question, however, you need unbiased and detailed data—not so you can put on your economist hat and analyze it yourself, but so third parties whom you trust can look at it. The PBO and similar civil servants work to get you that data, and as Kevin Page recounts here, it is not always an easy task or one for which they are rewarded. The least we can do is pay a little more attention.
First, a little context for my non-Canadian friends reading this: last October, we went to the polls for our 42nd general election. The campaign leading up to it, at 11 weeks, was the longest federal election campaign in our history (I can already sense my American friends gasping in envy at this number). The stakes were high: Stephen Harper’s Conservative party was attempting to form a fourth consecutive government, and a second majority government. Instead, owing to a combination of Conservative missteps during the campaign and probably just fatigue for the Conservatives’ time in office, the Liberals swept into power, going from 34 to 184 seats. Although many people and polls predicted a Liberal minority government, the dramatic Liberal win was a surprise to many people.
Unaccountable’s title sums up the nature of Page’s story. Over his nine years as Prime Minister, Harper consolidated executive power in the Prime Minister’s Office, the PMO. His initial victory over the Liberals was largely due to backlash over the sponsorship scandal; for this reason, he ran his campaign on promises of openness, transparency, and accountability. (None of this is new: the history of our Parliament is largely the Liberals and Conservatives trading the reins of power as one or the other regime gets brought down by a scandal caused by corruption and overconfidence. Neither party is inherently right or just. Also it’s worth noting that Harper’s Conservatives are actually a parasite that has zombified the corpses of several centre-right parties, so it’s a little unfair to compare them directly to previous incarnations of the Conservatives.) Creating the PBO, which Page himself likens to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, was Harper’s way of delivering on that promise.
This is all well and good. Alas, the Conservative government did not live up to these promises (surprise, surprise). Indeed, Harper’s time in office saw the government transform into one of Canada’s most secretive, closed, and retributive governments in our history. MPs were not allowed to give interviews. Directives went out from the PMO muzzling scientists and researchers. The government deliberately hobbled the census, because who needs statistics? And even as they claimed to be fiscally responsible, the government refused to produce reliable data to back up their claims.
Unaccountable is basically Page recounting all the times he called bullshit on the government’s numbers (or, more often, lack thereof) and then got told off, loudly and rudely, for, as he puts it, doing his job. From the first report his office produced—forecasting the long-term costs of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan—to the F-35 forecasts, the PBO came under fire from the government for exceeding its mandate and attempting to work with the opposition parties. Ironically, many of the emotionally-charged responses from the government to these reports were contributing factors to the two elections and two prorogations of Parliament that we experienced prior to 2015. Meanwhile, Page and his office just kept chugging along, hoping that by keeping the media on their side and sticking to what they did best—research and reporting—they would stay intact, if not exactly popular with the administration.
Although Page’s narration is quite focused, necessarily, on his actions and the actions of his team and the effects they had on the government, I wouldn’t say he’s trying to be remembered as a crusader against the Harper government, nor is he stroking ego. Rather, he simply is very passionate about and invested in the idea of an impartial and accountable civil service. He wants people to be inspired not just by himself but by the process and passion of him and his colleagues at the PBO. He is looking back on his five years as PBO and reflecting that he has done good, and it comes across that way. Moreover, he’s trying to drum up the excitement level and present these events in an interesting way. There is a reason for that.
This is an important book. Discussions of the civil service are not sexy. Canadians have a poor enough understanding of how our political system works as it is; I doubt most Canadians would be able to tell you what the PBO is or where it fits into our system (to be fair, I had no idea it had been shoved into the Library of Parliament org chart until I read this book). When a friend of mine asked me what this book is about, she responded that her attitude towards politics in one of “blissful ignorance.” This is coming from an intelligent and educated person. And it’s exactly the kind of response that allows people like Harper to strong-arm the government in a direction that isn’t good for our country.
Apathy is the enemy of a healthy democracy. Parliament governs through the will of the people. It exists to keep the executive in check. But if the people don’t care, then Parliament is de-fanged. And while our MPs are the heart and soul of Parliament, the untold legion of civil servants who run their offices and departments are its life-blood. They are the ones who draft our laws, vet our budgets, and prepare communiques. Without them, government would grind to a halt. And their integrity is paramount: they guard against ideology trumping reality. (Yeah, I used trumping there for a reason.)
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a left wing/right wing, Liberal versus Conservative thing. Page is critical of the Conservative government’s conduct when it comes to releasing data. He very carefully does not comment on the ideology behind the Conservatives’ policies, though, just their fiscal responsibility. And this is key, both to understanding Unaccountable as well as our politics. It is not the Conservatives’ ideology that is the issue here: rather, it’s the fact that they refused to provide the methodology and data used to arrive at their budgeting forecasts, and they consistently claimed that their policies would cost far less than they would in reality. This is not surprising; no government wants to look bad by saying they’re going to spend a ton of money. And that’s exactly what the PBO did by consistently releasing reports second-guessing what few numbers the Conservatives announced. Oopsie.
Replacing the Conservatives with a Liberal government is not a panacea. Page and his publisher very deliberately timed the release of this book to coincide with the upcoming election. It’s clear he hoped to make an impact, at least among the probably nerdy Canadians who were going to pick up this book in time for it to influence their vote. But ousting Harper doesn’t automatically fix anything—remember, when he was Leader of the Official Opposition, he was quite happy to go on about transparency, only to swiftly change tune when he became PM. And indeed, there are some warning signs that the Liberals are being recalcitrant about their numbers as well. I’d say I’m shocked, but….
Unless the government actually gives the PBO the power to compel the release of government data, there is little the PBO can do except make noise. Ultimately, it’s we—the ones who put the Liberals into government—who have the power. That’s why you should read the book. Yes, it is about economics and spending and politics. But it is not full of jargon. Indeed, Page provides succinct and clear descriptions of how the PBO did its research and produced its reports. Although I had been aware of Page and the PBO’s existence during his tenure there, I didn’t really understand how it operated. Now I know more!
Unaccountable is not a tell-all full of gossip on Parliament Hill. It’s the unsexy but still quite dramatic story of a guy trying to do his job so that we can stay informed. At times he gets personal, recounting a bit of biography and sharing the story of his son’s death and how that influenced his decision to apply for this job. Your mileage may vary for these details. What I can’t shake is how none of this civil service stuff gets taught in schools. Our civic education is laughably perfunctory—we’ve been lucky, coasting off the fact that Canada’s traditionally high immigrant ratio means we get so many talented people coming into our country and caring greatly about the political process because it’s what got them here in the first place, often from places where they have less of a voice. Those of us who have grown up here, in privileged families who, by dint of economic and ethnic status, are not often the target of government policy changes, except for the better (Harper’s “old stock” Canadians if you will) forget how good we have it. And we seldom learn about the essential role that public servants play in keeping it that way.
So, here’s my assignment to the class: read this. It is not a long book. It is 200 pages. It is not a superbly written book, but it isn’t hard to read either. I suspect for most of us, though, it will fill in unexpected gaps in our knowledge.
Democracy for the individual can be thought of as comprising two questions: What do I want this country to be? and Is the current government making it so? Only you can answer the first question. Neither Unaccountable nor I are out to shame you for being Liberal or Conservative, NDP or Green, Bloc or anything else: you do you. In order to answer that second question, however, you need unbiased and detailed data—not so you can put on your economist hat and analyze it yourself, but so third parties whom you trust can look at it. The PBO and similar civil servants work to get you that data, and as Kevin Page recounts here, it is not always an easy task or one for which they are rewarded. The least we can do is pay a little more attention.
June 14, 2020
Page's insights are very valuable from a courageous public servant who was left an admirable legacy on the governance of Canada. His frankness and willingness to tell it like it is was on full display.
March 2, 2016
Kevin Page tells an engaging account of the challenges and obstructions he faced in building the Parliamentary Budget Office, tasked with providing Parliament and the public with independent budget estimates and spending critiques. His insider depiction of the work underpinning his office's reports makes for interesting, if wonk-ish reading.
Where the book shines for average citizens like me is when Page describes how the governing party engineered a famine of information and viciously bullied accountability officers, Parliament, and the public to enact its ideological agenda. Such behavior is by no means unique to the Harper Conservatives with whom Page battled, though arguably they throttled information more tightly than their predecessors.
US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis aptly said, “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”
As citizens we need accurate and useful information with which to judge the policies and behavior of our elected officials. Hence the value of an independent budget office to cast "sunlight" on the spin and fill-in missing figures in spending plans presented by politicians. How much more then do these very politicians need such insights to guide their laws in the first place?
Page may be famous for helping bring down two consecutive Harper Conservative governments (the second time fatally). But the value of his book is not in rock-throwing at a particular man or party's habits, rather in its call to create more transparency and accountability for all Canadian governments.
If Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to transcend party politics on behalf of the best interests of Canadians, he would do well to act on Page's recommendations. Thus far his legislators appear to be welcoming the Parliamentary Budget Office's reports, in contrast to their predecessors. Let's encourage Trudeau to make this office truly independent.
Where the book shines for average citizens like me is when Page describes how the governing party engineered a famine of information and viciously bullied accountability officers, Parliament, and the public to enact its ideological agenda. Such behavior is by no means unique to the Harper Conservatives with whom Page battled, though arguably they throttled information more tightly than their predecessors.
US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis aptly said, “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”
As citizens we need accurate and useful information with which to judge the policies and behavior of our elected officials. Hence the value of an independent budget office to cast "sunlight" on the spin and fill-in missing figures in spending plans presented by politicians. How much more then do these very politicians need such insights to guide their laws in the first place?
Page may be famous for helping bring down two consecutive Harper Conservative governments (the second time fatally). But the value of his book is not in rock-throwing at a particular man or party's habits, rather in its call to create more transparency and accountability for all Canadian governments.
If Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to transcend party politics on behalf of the best interests of Canadians, he would do well to act on Page's recommendations. Thus far his legislators appear to be welcoming the Parliamentary Budget Office's reports, in contrast to their predecessors. Let's encourage Trudeau to make this office truly independent.
January 25, 2016
Yet another contribution detailing the ever diminishing role of Canada's Parliament and the rise of the executive branch, particularly that of the Prime Minister's Office. Written by Kevin Page, a career public servant within the federal government, and the first Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada, the book gives a solid accounting of the inherent weaknesses of the Parliamentary Budget Office and the lack of information shared with the House of Commons.
Recommended to those interested in learning more about the approach that the Conservative Party of Canada under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to government.
Recommended to those interested in learning more about the approach that the Conservative Party of Canada under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to government.
March 5, 2018
Heads up to anyone planning to pick this up, it’s more of a soap opera, or at least speech from a soapbox than a truly helpful insight into the budgeting and fiscal oversight processes of the Canadian Federal Government. I came to this hoping to get details about how our budget, estimates, votes and supply bills work (or don’t work) together to create transparency, prudent oversight, and accountability of spending. Nada on that, a whole chapter on the author’s childhood though (was this actually an autobiography accidentally billed as political science?) Manage your expectations before reading, I didn’t and am left unimpressed.
November 8, 2015
What a phenomenal book by a phenomenal human in Canada. I wish all my friends in the public service could read this and learn from a man who believes in integrity and full transparency. He gets it. I am lucky to have interviewed him and talk with him several times and I cannot say enough great things about what he has done and tried to do to make Canada a better country for you and me.
November 15, 2015
Really honest account of the first PBO's experience setting up shop and dealing with the complications of government operations and politics. No matter your political affiliation, Page makes an important plea...our politicians need to be making more informed decisions and the PBO had/has the potential to do that for them. And ultimately for us as tax payers.
November 2, 2025
strange guy
with an unimpressive book
////////
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) was founded in 2016 by Kevin Page, Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer.
/////////
TVO
April 24th 2025
Also encouraging is the fact that the platforms were quickly independently reviewed. The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy gave the Liberal platform a "good" rating across all key dimensions: realistic assumptions, responsible fiscal management, and transparency. The Conservative plan earned a respectable "pass," though flagged for its heavy reliance on aggressive assumptions about growth and program efficiencies.
/////////
Sounds like Mister Page has a Whole Lotta Love for Mark Carney.
////////
What's going on in that retarded Iglooland called Canada?
Page - Parliamentary Budget Officer 2008
Jacques - Parliamentary Budget Officer 2025
///////
Kevin Page: But I think Carney is creating the context for change. Even talking to people over the [summer] holidays — at coffee shops, with friends and family — there’s a sense he's having a positive impact by trying to unify people.
Jason Jacques told parliamentarians last month that he believes Ottawa’s pace of spending is “unsustainable” and he predicts the deficit will rise to nearly $70 billion for this fiscal year.
/////////
CBC
Sept 2nd 2025
Carney appoints interim budget watchdog as current officer's term ends
Jason Jacques will serve for 6 months as government searches for permanent replacement
Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Jason Jacques to a six-month term as the interim parliamentary budget officer.
Jacques is a director general at the office and replaces Yves Giroux, whose term heading up Parliament's budgetary watchdog office expires today.
Giroux said he didn't know who his successor would be as the end of his seven-year mandate approached.
The incoming budget officer is steeped in public sector experience, with stints at the Privy Council Office, Finance Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Bank of Canada.
The parliamentary budget officer is an agent of Parliament who provides independent economic and financial analysis to the Senate and House of Commons.
Jacques's first major task will come soon, as the federal government plans to table a budget this fall.
////////////
Part II
October 31st
Mark Carney’s right hand man is blowing the whistle on live television, warning that if the Canadian prime minister isn’t immediately removed, our economy is going to collapse.
///////////
It's going to be interesting, this is like an Economic Watergate, Canada the land of William Shatner and the inventor of the Bacon Straightening Device, and not much else.
with an unimpressive book
////////
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) was founded in 2016 by Kevin Page, Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer.
/////////
TVO
April 24th 2025
Also encouraging is the fact that the platforms were quickly independently reviewed. The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy gave the Liberal platform a "good" rating across all key dimensions: realistic assumptions, responsible fiscal management, and transparency. The Conservative plan earned a respectable "pass," though flagged for its heavy reliance on aggressive assumptions about growth and program efficiencies.
/////////
Sounds like Mister Page has a Whole Lotta Love for Mark Carney.
////////
What's going on in that retarded Iglooland called Canada?
Page - Parliamentary Budget Officer 2008
Jacques - Parliamentary Budget Officer 2025
///////
Kevin Page: But I think Carney is creating the context for change. Even talking to people over the [summer] holidays — at coffee shops, with friends and family — there’s a sense he's having a positive impact by trying to unify people.
Jason Jacques told parliamentarians last month that he believes Ottawa’s pace of spending is “unsustainable” and he predicts the deficit will rise to nearly $70 billion for this fiscal year.
/////////
CBC
Sept 2nd 2025
Carney appoints interim budget watchdog as current officer's term ends
Jason Jacques will serve for 6 months as government searches for permanent replacement
Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Jason Jacques to a six-month term as the interim parliamentary budget officer.
Jacques is a director general at the office and replaces Yves Giroux, whose term heading up Parliament's budgetary watchdog office expires today.
Giroux said he didn't know who his successor would be as the end of his seven-year mandate approached.
The incoming budget officer is steeped in public sector experience, with stints at the Privy Council Office, Finance Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Bank of Canada.
The parliamentary budget officer is an agent of Parliament who provides independent economic and financial analysis to the Senate and House of Commons.
Jacques's first major task will come soon, as the federal government plans to table a budget this fall.
////////////
Part II
October 31st
Mark Carney’s right hand man is blowing the whistle on live television, warning that if the Canadian prime minister isn’t immediately removed, our economy is going to collapse.
///////////
It's going to be interesting, this is like an Economic Watergate, Canada the land of William Shatner and the inventor of the Bacon Straightening Device, and not much else.
February 11, 2017
I'm a bit flummoxed on how to rate Unaccountable. It's brisk and clearly designed for the everyday reader, moving from stage to stage with economy. However, while it's evident that Page is an advocate for transparent government and an inspired civil service, the book itself feels more workmanlike than a stirring call to arms, and there's not much in the way of insider gossip about the tensions with the Harper government. The most interesting and fresh moments are the ones where Page gives us a sense of what it's like to be in a press scrum, or to be bullied by the government. However, I imagine part of my issues are due to when I'm reading the book - not to say that many issues of transparency and improving public service have changed drastically, but I imagine the book felt a lot more vital and pressing at the time of its release during the waning days of the Harper government.
Page offers a brief but well-illustrated background on himself and then moves through his years and major projects at the Parliamentary Budget Office. It's very readable, but it feels like some of the details are a bit lacking. I certainly don't want to see any of the formulas behind the F-35 report, but a repeat plot in the book is "No one gave us the numbers and then we talked to some experts and other governments and got the numbers and everyone except the Conservatives said we did a nice job and I'm really happy with my team." I feel it might have helped to describe more of the mechanics of how the PBO actually works to help better convey a sense of accomplishment and to provide more drama of a sort.
The writing itself is a little on the choppy, conversational side. Page admirably avoids technical or bureaucratic jargon, but it's not terribly elegant or riveting prose. His messages are clear and the issues he raises are all important, worthy causes, but the book is a little lacking in flavour.
Page offers a brief but well-illustrated background on himself and then moves through his years and major projects at the Parliamentary Budget Office. It's very readable, but it feels like some of the details are a bit lacking. I certainly don't want to see any of the formulas behind the F-35 report, but a repeat plot in the book is "No one gave us the numbers and then we talked to some experts and other governments and got the numbers and everyone except the Conservatives said we did a nice job and I'm really happy with my team." I feel it might have helped to describe more of the mechanics of how the PBO actually works to help better convey a sense of accomplishment and to provide more drama of a sort.
The writing itself is a little on the choppy, conversational side. Page admirably avoids technical or bureaucratic jargon, but it's not terribly elegant or riveting prose. His messages are clear and the issues he raises are all important, worthy causes, but the book is a little lacking in flavour.
July 27, 2020
In addition to budget deficits buried in omnibus bills, we also have a "democratic deficit" as seen in low voter turnout and a growing lack of trust in the political establishment. This book highlights how the power of the PMO is compromising the ability of our MPs to exercise oversight on spending and other key aspects of life in Canada and how civil servants are enabling some of this lack of transparency.
What is truly sad is that, while we all sense that things are not working as they should, we seem to feel not voting and not trusting is all that is required of us and no energy seems to be invested in making things better. We can expect more LTC type failures and more "WE" scandals as long as we continue to do nothing.
What is truly sad is that, while we all sense that things are not working as they should, we seem to feel not voting and not trusting is all that is required of us and no energy seems to be invested in making things better. We can expect more LTC type failures and more "WE" scandals as long as we continue to do nothing.
January 8, 2023
This isn't a thrill-a-minute read but it was super interesting to read. I shortly after reading it had an informational interview with Mr. Page and he couldn't have been more generous with his time for a recent social sciences undergrad trying to figure out what was next in life. It's a definitely interesting insight into Canadian politics and Mr. Page's career in general.
September 26, 2024
As a member of the federal public service, I found this book interesting and inspiring. Some of the bureaucratic detail may be less interesting to some.
March 17, 2017
Great read, honest view of what life on the hill is truly like behind the scenes! Thank you Kevin Page for an excellent book.
November 28, 2015
This book is a decent overview of the development of the parliamentary budget office. So, if you're interested in the basics at a high level, then it's OK. If you're interested in details then they seemed to be short. I found the last few chapters the most interesting as he argued for more openness and transparency in government.
I would say that that the biggest drawback to this book was the writing style. It seemed almost melodramatic in the way many things were described. And if you're melodramatic too often, it loses impact.
I would say that that the biggest drawback to this book was the writing style. It seemed almost melodramatic in the way many things were described. And if you're melodramatic too often, it loses impact.
December 26, 2016
An excellent account of the trials and tribulations of Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
One of the better acts of the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper was to create this office. I think he underestimated the tenacity and drive to PROPERLY cost policy of our first PBO. This book takes you behind the headlines where you learn how mightily the office struggled to both stay 'alive' and fulfil its mandate.
One of the better acts of the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper was to create this office. I think he underestimated the tenacity and drive to PROPERLY cost policy of our first PBO. This book takes you behind the headlines where you learn how mightily the office struggled to both stay 'alive' and fulfil its mandate.
November 4, 2015
This is a book for political/economic geeks, but should be read by as many people as possible. Great technical insight. The technical writing is good, the writing about Page's personal life and relationships less so -- these parts read like a sophomore term paper.
If this information is true, this offers a damning repudiation of the "economic stewardship" of the past Conservative government. Part expose, part call to arms to salvage democracy.
Recommended.
If this information is true, this offers a damning repudiation of the "economic stewardship" of the past Conservative government. Part expose, part call to arms to salvage democracy.
Recommended.
December 2, 2015
The author is no longer a civil servant but, with this book about his most important posting in Canada's civil service, he performs a valuable public service. Page's account of his experience as Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer is an important addition to what, in the end, will be a voluminous amount of scholarship and opinion regarding the years of the 'Harper Conservatives'.
May 1, 2016
Kevin Page is not the best writer. However, he does have a story to tell even if he positions himself at the centre of every story of import in Ottawa the last five years. His desire to see himself as some sort of brave hero for doing his job can be a bit off-putting. An okay book.
October 17, 2015
Easy to read and understand. Quite the eye-opener!
February 15, 2016
Direct and easily understandable.
It's difficult to imagine how governments get away with being so unaccountable and non-transparent.
It's difficult to imagine how governments get away with being so unaccountable and non-transparent.
February 23, 2016
A fascinating insider's account of some of the most interesting political machinations in Canada in the last decade that is hobbled by poor writing.
Read
July 11, 2016Wow from Thunder Bay who would have thought?
March 4, 2016
Excellent!!! Every public service employee should read this book.
October 12, 2015
Interesting (and troubling) read. I wish Kevin Page had more concrete recommendations for change.
January 21, 2016
Canada needs more of this kind of courage.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews