Unaccountable

Truth and Lies on Parliament Hill

Kevin Page

$39.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Penguin USA
15 January 2017

Politics & government; Political structures: democracy; Public administration; Political control & freedoms

"A unique insider's account of the Harper government so damning that it cannot be ignored.

A unique insider's account of the Harper government so damning that it cannot be ignored.

Kevin Page was appointed by the federal Conservatives to be the country's first parliamentary budget officer in March 2008. The move fulfilled a Tory campaign promise to deliver greater government transparency and accountability. He was later denounced by the same people who had appointed him to scrutinize their spending. When he challenged the government on several issues--most notably about the true costs of the F-35 fighter planes--and publicly claimed the government was misleading Canadians, Page was vilified. Later, he was called ""unbelievable, unreliable and incredible"" by then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Page's term was not extended.

Page's assessment of the F-35 procurement was proven right, a major embarrassment to the Harper government. But his overriding concern is that Parliament does not get the information and analysis it needs to hold the executive--the prime minister and cabinet--to account. Parliament, he argues, is broken, with power centralized in the PMO. The civil service appears cowed, and members of parliament almost never see enough financial analysis to support the policy decisions they make. That was true of the tough-on-crime legislation and military procurement as well as recent changes to the Canada Health Transfer and Old Age Security.

In this shocking insider's account, Page argues forcefully that elected officials need accurate, independently verified data to support the implementation of policies and programs. Unaccountable is an urgent call to action for all Canadians."

By: Kevin Page
Imprint: Penguin USA
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 204g
ISBN: 9780143191025
ISBN 10: 0143191020
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 15 January 2017
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

KEVIN PAGE was the first ever Parliamentary Budget Officer, appointed to the position in March 2008. Previous to that position, he was a civil servant for the Canadian Government for over twenty-seven years. Currently, he is based in Ottawa, where he holds the Jean Luc Pepin Research Chair at the University of Ottawa. The author lives in Ottawa, ON.

Reviews for Unaccountable: Truth and Lies on Parliament Hill

Helps shine a light on an important part of the history of institution-building in Canada and shouldn't be ignored. . . . A call to action. -- Maclean's A scathing critique of the federal public service. -- Ottawa Citizen