Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today.

My name is Jason Jacques. I am honoured to serve Parliament as the interim Parliamentary Budget Officer. You have me for another 166 days unless the Prime Minister appoints somebody else for a seven-year term more quickly.

As I begin my term, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of my predecessor, Yves Giroux.

Mr. Giroux set high standards of excellence that were recognized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD, which ranked Canada as the number one country in the world for independent tax institutions. The entire team at the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, myself included, is determined to maintain the quality and integrity of the work he has done.

My primary message to this committee today is one of stability and continuity. Our office remains steadfastly committed to its core mandate: providing independent, non-partisan analysis of the nation's finances, the government's estimates and the Canadian economy.

Parliamentarians and the public can be confident that our work will continue without interruption. We will continue to provide the clear, accessible and transparent analysis that you expect from our office. Our work will always be guided by evidence and a firm commitment to supporting informed debate within these walls and across the country.

To that end, last week we released an analysis of the family wealth distribution. Later this week, we will publish an updated analysis of federal infrastructure spending. Next week, we will publish the economic and fiscal baseline for the country. In advance of the government's budget—budget 2025, whenever it's published—we think parliamentarians need to see a five-year forecast of where the nation's finances currently stand, so that they are well prepared to consider whatever the government decides to bring forward as part of its economic and fiscal plan.

We recognize that this committee and all of Parliament face key budgetary issues in the months ahead and that your decisions will impact all Canadians. To that end, I want to extend an invitation. Our door is open. We are here to support your work. We encourage you and your staff to reach out for briefings or with any questions you may have. We promise to be responsive, clear and—this is bolded in my opening remarks—impartial.

As committee members know, I have already reached out to their offices to provide them with information about our plans in the coming months.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to any questions you may have.

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