Independent Budget Officer Act
Introduction and
First Reading of Bills
BILL M201 — INDEPENDENT BUDGET
OFFICER ACT, 2009
B. Ralston presented a bill intituled Independent Budget Officer Act, 2009.
B. Ralston: I move introduction of the Independent Budget Officer Act for first reading.
Motion approved.
B. Ralston: 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.
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.
Bill M201, Independent Budget Officer Act, 2009, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.
For more information, or to view the debate, please see:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/39th1st/h90914a.htm#315