Parliament Approves Annette Ryan as New Parliamentary Budget Officer

Members of Parliament approved Annette Ryan as Canada's next Parliamentary Budget Officer on Monday in a narrow 164-153 vote in the House of Commons, filling a key fiscal oversight role that had remained vacant for more than a month.

The appointment, which marks the end of an interim period led by Jason Jacques, secures Ryan a seven-year term as the nonpartisan watchdog responsible for providing independent analysis of federal spending and fiscal policies. The vote saw opposition from Conservative and Bloc Québécois members, who had signaled their resistance during nomination hearings last month. Ryan, nominated by the federal cabinet, steps into the role after serving as deputy director at Fintrac, Canada's financial intelligence agency that tracks suspected money laundering and terrorist financing.

A longtime civil servant, Ryan previously held positions including associate assistant deputy minister at the Department of Finance, as well as roles at Employment and Social Development Canada and Industry Canada. She is a Rhodes Scholar with a master's degree in economics from Oxford University, bringing extensive expertise in public finance to the position.