What does a late budget mean for public servants?

Public servants go to work in downtown Ottawa. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIAArticle content

On May 14, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne emerged from the new government’s first cabinet meeting with news that there wouldn’t be a federal budget released this year. Prime Minister Mark Carney has since said that there will be a budget, but not until the fall.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor

Article content

The decision to delay the budget has meant public servants will have to wait longer to get a full sense of Carney’s plans for the public service. And it will mean they’ll receive that information in a more piecemeal way for now instead of one substantial fiscal portrait that a budget would provide.

Article content

“If the government wants to proceed with something, a new bill, a spending program, whatever, they can announce them as they want, spread over the coming months,” said Michael Wernick, a former clerk of the Privy Council.

Article content

Here’s are the things public servants will want to keep an eye out for in the meantime.

Article content

Estimates and supply

Article content

For the first month of the federal government’s fiscal year, the public service remained under a caretaker convention because of the election.

Article content

It meant that line managers have been planning with some uncertainty about what their budget will be over the next year and that they’ve likely been “fairly cautious,” Wernick said. But they should get some clarity over the next few weeks.

Article content

One of the first acts of Parliament will be what’s called the business of supply. This is an estimate of what funds the government is asking for and how it will use them. The business of supply is the responsibility of the Treasury Board and is often out of sync with the larger budget cycle of the federal government, even in relatively normal years for Parliament.

Article content

The main estimates, which are a detailed breakdown of government spending, will be released before Parliament breaks for the summer.

Article content

Once the estimates are presented, Parliament votes on what’s called a supply bill based off those estimates. This will set aside the funding required for programs and activities approved in those estimates.

Article content

Supplementary estimates, which are additional spending beyond what was in the main estimates or a reallocation of that spending, are expected later this year.

Article content

“If there are going to be any early cuts, you probably won’t see them until supplementary estimates in the fall,” Wernick added.

Article content

What other clues will there be for public servants?

Article content

Lori Turnbull, a political science professor at Dalhousie University, said that mandate letters will also indicate what capping the public service, a key promise in Carney’s platform, may mean.