Ontario
Ontario Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, 2004 (SO 2004 c 3 Sch A)
Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act SO 2004 c 3 Sch A (ontario.ca/laws/statute/04f03, HTTP 200); Financial Administration Act RSO 1990 c F-12; Auditor General Act RSO 1990 c A-35; Financial Accountability Officer Act SO 2013 c 18 Sched 5 (FAO — independent legislative fiscal analysis body); Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive
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Ontario has the most developed fiscal transparency framework in the Canadian provincial cluster. The Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, 2004 (SO 2004 c 3 Sch A, ontario.ca confirmed HTTP 200) requires the government to publish a multi-year economic and fiscal outlook before each budget, quarterly Finances reports, and a year-end report. The Financial Administration Act (RSO 1990 c F-12) governs the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO, Financial Accountability Officer Act SO 2013 c 18 Sched 5) is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly providing economic and financial analysis. Ontario's FAO is the only confirmed standalone legislative fiscal analysis body (IFI equivalent) in the Canadian provincial cluster. The Auditor General (RSO 1990 c A-35) conducts financial and value-for-money audits. Ontario publishes an annual Tax Expenditures and Insights report. The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act (SO 1996 c 1 Sch A) requires disclosure of all public sector employees earning $100,000+ (the 'sunshine list'). Fiscal year: April 1 to March 31.
Transparency Requirements
Budget Publicationmax 12 pts
| Budget publication required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Budget published online | ✓ Yes |
| Budget publication timeline | — |
| Machine-readable budget format | — |
| Draft budget required before adoption | ✓ Yes |
Expenditure Disclosuremax 12 pts
| Expenditure disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Expenditure granularity | department |
| Public expenditure portal required | — |
| Expenditure reporting frequency | quarterly |
Independent Auditmax 12 pts
| Audit required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Auditor independent of entity | ✓ Yes |
| Auditor selection method | appointed independent |
| Audit frequency | annual |
| Audit reports public | ✓ Yes |
| Audit scope | financial performance |
Contract & Procurementmax 10 pts
| Public bidding required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Contract publication required | ✓ Yes |
| Bid award disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Beneficial ownership disclosure | No |
Debt & Liability Disclosuremax 10 pts
| Debt disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Pension liability disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Contingent liability disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Voter approval required for new debt | No |
Fiscal Reporting Frequencymax 10 pts
| Interim reporting required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Interim reporting frequency | quarterly |
| Year-end report deadline | 180 days after fiscal year |
| Citizens budget required | — |
Enforcement & Oversightmax 10 pts
| Non-compliance penalties | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Fiscal oversight body | ✓ Yes |
| Whistleblower protections | ✓ Yes |
| Legislative budget office | ✓ Yes |
Revenue & Tax Transparencymax 8 pts
| Tax expenditure reporting | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Revenue forecasting required | ✓ Yes |
| Tax rate publication | ✓ Yes |
| Fee schedule publication | ✓ Yes |
Compensation & Payrollmax 8 pts
| Salary disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Salary disclosure scope | all |
| Pension benefit disclosure | — |
| Overtime reporting | — |
Capital & Asset Disclosuremax 8 pts
| Capital plan required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Asset inventory required | — |
| Surplus asset disposal transparency | — |