Frequently Asked Questions

The FAO provides the Legislative Assembly of Ontario with independent analysis on the state of the Province’s finances, including the budget, and trends in the provincial and national economies. Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and committees of the Assembly can also request that the FAO conduct research into the Province’s finances, the economy, Expenditure Estimates, or the financial costs or benefits of any public bill or proposal.

The Financial Accountability Officer is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. As such, the FAO is not part of the executive branch of government.

Both the Auditor General of Ontario and the Financial Accountability Officer are independent officers of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Auditor General conducts financial statement, value-for-money and compliance audits, and reviews of provincial programs, ministries, agencies and broader public sector organizations. The FAO provides the Legislative Assembly of Ontario with independent analysis on the state of the Province’s finances, including the budget, and trends in the provincial and national economies.

Any MPP or committee of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario may request analysis from the FAO.

The FAO welcomes submissions of information from the public but only MPPs and committees of the Legislative Assembly may request FAO analysis.

No. The Financial Accountability Officer has the discretion to refuse requests from MPPs and committees of the Assembly.

Requests for analysis can be sent to requests-demandes@fao-on.org.

No. The FAO will not disclose the identity of any MPP or committee that has requested analysis. However, nothing prohibits MPPs from revealing this information.