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Rick Mercer Praises Kevin Page For Standing Up To The Tories (VIDEO)

WATCH: Rick Mercer Praises PBO For Standing Up To Tories

Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer, who has tirelessly worked to keep the Conservative government honest, is set to be replaced in March. Mercer is worried there won't be anyone to replace him -- something the Tories might not be too upset about.

"He did his job ... Which is important because if history has taught us anything it's that governments, all governments, they tend to, what's the word I'm looking for here? They lie about this stuff," Mercer said. "On Old Age Security, on deficit projections, on spending cuts, he’s always done his job. And he’s been called every name in the book. Often by people who have never even read one."

"Nobody wants the job. Why? Look at the job description -- serve your country, tell the truth, get attacked by the government for doing so."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW SLIDESHOW

Page's term is up on March 24 and he has expressed concerns about whether the Tories, who created the position in the first place, will replace him. Both the Liberals and NDP have echoed those fears.

Meanwhile, Page has continued to do his duty. Just last week, he reported that the Conservatives are doing the opposite of what they promised on cuts to the public service, slashing front-line services while back-office spending continues to rise.

Contrary to what Mercer suggests in his rant, Page says there are at least three qualified candidates who might be interested in the job, according to The Hill Times. That's encouraging, since the position is considered a career dead-end,

"I'm unemployed in two months," Page said recently.

But he never seemed like he was doing it for the money or the prestige anyway.

Page's son was killed in a tragic accident in 2006 and the event shaped his perspective.

"After losing a son, I am not afraid of losing a job for doing what we feel is right and required," he told HuffPost Canada last year.

It is that willingness to speak truth to power, regardless of the consequences, that led HuffPost Canada to name Page our News Story of 2012.

Looks like Mercer agrees.

With files from The Canadian Press

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