Evidence of meeting #157 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was billion.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB
Are there any suggestions that could help make your life and the work that you have to do a little bit easier?
Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Yes. Appearing less often at OGGO—
Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
—would be one, but I think that one is off the table.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
On a point of order, I completely disagree with that.
Liberal
Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB
Mr. Giroux, through these supplementary estimates, the government is requesting more than $20 billion in new voted budgetary appropriations. Your report highlights the following:
Including these Supplementary Estimates, the total proposed year-to-date budgetary authorities are $487.4 billion, which represents a $5.2 billion (or 1.0 per cent) decrease compared with the Estimates to date for the preceding year.
How does the value of requested amounts this year compare with the supplementary estimates (B) request, especially those of maybe prepandemic years?
Jill Giswold Senior Analyst, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Are you looking for the amount in supplementary estimates (B) from year to year?
Senior Analyst, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
In terms of the historical proposed budgetary spending, in supplementary estimates (B) last year, it was $24.6 billion, which is pretty similar to this year. In the previous year, 2022-23, it was $25.8 billion, a little bit higher. In 2021-22, it was $13.4 billion, and 2021 was $79.2 billion. That was the first year of COVID-19 in which we saw spending for that, which explains the large increase that year. Prepandemic, in 2019-20 the supplementary estimates (B) were $5.6 billion.
Liberal
Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB
That's very helpful. Thank you. Concerning that 1% decrease proposed year to date since the previous fiscal year, is that significant? Can you put that into context for us?
Senior Analyst, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
I think we expect that to increase as the supplementary estimates (C) come along. At this point, where we're at with supplementary estimates (B) is the total amount of proposed spending in theory that the government would see for the current fiscal year, but we do anticipate supplementary estimates (C), and we anticipate seeing an increase in total proposed spending there.
Liberal
Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB
Thank you.
In my dying 45 seconds, I'll return to the really important issue of NATO spending. This is certainly important to CFB Gagetown, the home of the army, which is the community that I represent. Can you just speak briefly about the fiscal implications of Canada's commitment to meeting that NATO target by 2032 to 2033?
Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Based on GDP forecasts, and because it's as a share of GDP, we have to know what the nominal GDP will look like. Meeting the 2% target in 2032-2033 would mean going from the current estimated $41 billion in defence spending to about $82 billion in 2032-2033. That's it. It would be almost doubling expenditures.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thanks, Mrs. Atwin.
Mr. Giroux, I will give you an opportunity to retract your comments about not wanting to appear and a further opportunity to reaffirm your beliefs that OGGO is truly the only committee that matters.
You have the floor for five seconds. Go ahead.
Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
I agree.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Christmas is saved.
We will dismiss you, but I'm sure the members would like to chat with you afterwards if you want to hang around for a couple of seconds.
We're going to do a couple of quick votes. First, can I have UC for the budget for this meeting? It's $1,750.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thank you.
There was an announcement yesterday by the Speaker that the last supply day, for the December 5, 6, 9 and 10 period will be today. That means that our meeting today is our first and only one that we can have on the supplementary estimates (B) before they have to be reported back to the House, so we will go to a vote on them.
Now I'd like, first of all, UC to combine all of the votes into one block.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
That's wonderful. Shall the votes on supplementary estimates (B) pass?
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$221,278,895
Vote 5b—Capital expenditures..........$619,865,441
(Votes 1b and 5b agreed to on division)
NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION
Vote 1b—Payments to the Commission for operating expenditures..........$7,293,000
Vote 5b—Payments to the Commission for capital expenditures..........$35,152,000
(Votes 1b and 5b agreed to on division)
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER
Vote 1b—Program expenditures..........$308,929
(Vote 1b agreed to on division)
PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE
Vote 1b—Program expenditures..........$9,119,936
(Vote 1b agreed to on division)
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Vote 1b—Program expenditures..........$1,664,904
(Vote 1b agreed to on division)
SHARED SERVICES CANADA
Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$52,596,936
(Vote 1b agreed to on division)
TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT
Vote 1b—Program expenditures..........$38,114,094
Vote 10b—Government-wide Initiatives..........$2,000,000
Vote 15b—Compensation Adjustments..........$970,804,972
Vote 20b—Public Service Insurance..........$643,626,442
(Votes 1b, 10b, 15b and 20b agreed to on division)
Shall I report the votes on the supplementary estimates (B) to the House?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
That's wonderful.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Giroux, Ms. Giswold and Mr. Creighton, thank you very much.
We're adjourned.