Backgrounder – OIC 2026-27 Main Estimates
Key highlights
- The OIC has received $15.7 million in voted funding for 2026-27 in the Main Estimates.
- This is an increase of $71k (0.45%) from last year.
- The increase is due to additional funding allocated from Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) for higher rates of pay for senior management.
- The OIC was exempt from the Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER) as an Agent of Parliament. However, it is absorbing an approximate 4% reduction in FTEs (from a planned 129 to 124) due to unfunded collective agreement costs.
- The OIC plans 124 FTEs in 2026–27 (95 for Government Transparency, 29 for Internal Services).
- The OIC anticipates an increase in complaint intake, as access to information capacity across federal institutions is expected to be affected through CER.
| 2024–25 Expenditures | 2025–26 Main Estimates | 2025–26 Estimates To Date | 2026–27 Main Estimates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budgetary | |||||
| Voted | |||||
| 1 | Program expenditures – Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada | 16,109,571 | 15,666,272 | 15,666,272 | 15,737,098 |
| 5 | Program expenditures – Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada | 32,891,325 | 34,322,438 | 34,322,438 | 33,232,604 |
| Total Voted | 49,000,896 | 49,988,710 | 49,988,710 | 48,969,702 | |
| Total Statutory | 6,016,233 | 6,186,400 | 6,186,400 | 6,561,402 | |
| Total Budgetary | 55,017,129 | 56,175,110 | 56,175,110 | 55,531,104 | |
Source: 2026–27 Estimates - Canada.ca.
Evolution of OIC funding and spending over the last several years.
| 2023-24Main Estimates | 2024-25 Main Estimates | 2025-26 Main Estimates | 2026-27 Main Estimates | 2023-24 Actual Spending | 2024-25 Actual Spending | 2025-26 Planned Spending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel | $11,983,418 | $13,227,376 | $13,549,380 | $13,620,206 | $13,678,460 | $13,991,235 | $13,845,102 |
Operating | $2,228,798 | $2,116,892 | $2,116,892 | $2,116,892 | $2,447,866 | $2,118,336 | $2,528,246 |
Total Voted Authorities | $14,212,216 | $15,344,268 | $15,666,272 | $15,737,098 | $16,126,326 | $16,109,571 | $16,373,348 |
Total Statutory – Employee Benefits Plan | $1,821,479 | $1,825,378 | $2,073,055 | $2,233,714 | $2,037,848 | $2,057,398 | $2,083,184 |
Total Budgetary Authorities | $16,033,695 | $17,169,646 | $17,739,327 | $17,970,812 | $18,164,173 | $18,166,969 | $18,456,532 |
Funding
- For 2026-27, the OIC has received $13.6 million in funding for personnel, $2.1 million in funding for operating expenses and $2.2 million in funding for Employee Benefits Plan (EBP) for a grand total of $17.97 million.
- The 2026-27 Main Estimates amount of $17.97 million shows a return to baseline funding. No carry forward is included.
Spending
- Planned spending for 2025-26 was higher than in previous years due to amounts carried forward from the prior year.
- Actual spending in 2023-24 and 2024-25 was approximately $18.2 million, largely due to one-time funding in 2023-24 for retroactive payments related to the implementation of new collective agreements.