The tool that the National Assembly lacks

It is a very good tool that our National Assembly lacks. A tool that would promote transparency and sound management of our public finances. Which would give leverage to the oppositions weakened by the last ballot.

Already 10 years ago, Prime Minister François Legault demanded this tool, when he himself was on the benches of the opposition. Over the years, several bills have been tabled to this effect, both by the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), the Parti Québécois (PQ) and Québec solidaire (QS).

And then ? Nothing.

It is unbelievable that, despite this great unanimity, Quebec is slow to get a Parliamentary Budget Officer, while Ottawa has had one since 2006 and Ontario since 2013.

What are we waiting for to follow in their footsteps?

Like an arbitrator standing above the fray, a Parliamentary Budget Officer would provide neutral and reliable financial information that would elevate the quality of the debates in the Blue Room. It would also facilitate the work of the opposition, by carrying out specific analyzes at the request of parliamentarians.

Such an innovation would come at the right time, as Monday’s ballot resulted in major electoral distortions. The CAQ, which won 72% of the seats with only 41% of the votes, leaves the opposition parties ill-equipped to represent the majority of voters who voted in their favour.

Small reminder: even if QS and the PQ obtained more votes than the Liberals, they do not have de facto access to the status of parliamentary group, which requires at least 12 deputies or 20% of the votes.

However, it is this famous status that determines research budgets and speaking time in the House, which gives the parties the means to properly defend the interests of voters.

At each election, parties that do not have the required level must negotiate à la carte. It is not normal. The Standing Orders of the National Assembly must be modernized once and for all so that the opposition can play its essential role as watchdog of our democracy.

Fortunately, the seed has already been sown. In 2020, the government presented a plan to completely reform the workings of the National Assembly.

The CAQ suggested lowering the bar to allow a party to achieve the status of parliamentary group with 8 deputies or 15% of the vote. But right now, that wouldn’t be enough for the PQ. And even less for the Conservative Party.

To adapt to the proliferation of parties, it would therefore be necessary to reduce the threshold further as recommended by the PQ (6 deputies or 10% of the votes) and QS (3 deputies or 8% of the votes).

But back to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an idea that the CAQ had also included in its reform of the National Assembly.

It seems a bit technical, but the creation of such a position would make it possible to ensure that our budget laws are respected. Assess the province’s long-term fiscal sustainability. To quantify the cost of electoral promises and public expenditure. To ensure that the maintenance plan for our infrastructures is not out of scope.

For those worried about the costs of a new structure, know that the office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada, which has nearly 40 employees, got away with a budget of 7.2 million in 2021.

However, this expense is more of an investment, because the Director’s work has made it possible to make better decisions, free from partisanship.

Several of its reports, in particular on the purchase of fighter planes and ships of the Armed Forces or on the legalization of cannabis, have raised the quality of the debates and contributed to the decisions of the government, underlines a recent study of the Chair in taxation and public finance¹.

This kind of lighting is also necessary in Quebec. For 10 years we have been talking about it, it is time to create a Parliamentary Budget Officer.