A former CBC Radio host was hired by the Privy Council Office to coach Parliamentary Budget Officer Annette Ryan before committee appearances, according to records tabled in the House of Commons.Ryan, a former Department of Finance executive who knew Prime Minister Mark Carney while at Oxford University in the 1990s, was appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer on April 21 at an annual salary of $349,900.“I certainly wasn’t coached or briefed by government officials,” Ryan testified at an April 30 hearing of the Commons government operations committee.However, an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons confirmed Ryan attended two meetings with the Privy Council Office on March 9 and 16.“Two Privy Council Office employees attended both meetings to provide administrative support,” said the Inquiry.The Privy Council also had an “expert on contract” attend the meetings to help Ryan prepare for parliamentary committee appearances.Blacklock's Reporter said the records identified the consultant as Royal Orr, a former CBC journalist and host of Cross-Country Checkup.The documents were tabled following a request from Conservative MP Kelly McCauley, chair of the government operations committee.McCauley asked whether the Privy Council Office met with Ryan “in preparation for her appearances in both the House of Commons and Senate.”.Ryan acknowledged receiving assistance when questioned by Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer at the April 30 hearing.“Did you receive any briefings at all prior to your appearance?” asked Patzer.“Briefings from whom?” replied Ryan.“Anybody at all,” said Patzer.“The Privy Council has an expert on contract who helps people prepare for committees,” replied Ryan. “I spent two hours with that person who is a former journalist and he peppered me with a few questions.”Records showed Orr had previously received $22,600 annually in talent fees as a Privy Council consultant before becoming a contracted employee in 2024.The Parliamentary Budget Officer is an independent officer of Parliament rather than a government employee.Ryan’s appointment faced opposition from Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs, who supported reappointing either former Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux or Jason Jacques, another experienced official in the office.Liberal, New Democrat and Green MPs supported Ryan’s appointment, which was approved by the Commons in a 164-153 vote on April 21.Giroux and Jacques had previously published reports critical of federal spending and government oversight.Conservative MP Jasraj Hallan questioned Ryan about her independence during a March 23 Commons finance committee hearing, saying previous budget officers had done “a tremendous job holding the government to account.”“Will you commit to being impartial and transparent?” asked Hallan.“I absolutely commit to being independent, transparent and impartial,” replied Ryan.“Do you commit to maintaining full independence from the executive branch?” asked Hallan.“I do indeed,” replied Ryan.Hallan also asked whether Ryan would commit to never censoring or watering down a report at the request of the government, bureaucracy or Prime Minister’s Office.“I am very comfortable making that commitment,” replied Ryan.
