Public Accounts committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. We're a bit disjointed, as my colleague said, because of some of the changes, but also the agenda we were provided with was more for TBS and expenditure management, so there was a bit of confusion in terms of the role. I'm absolutely prepared to talk about all those issues and have the dialogue with the committee today on those points.

Public Accounts committee  The same goes also with the roles of the comptroller generals in various Westminster-based systems. There is no one common definition of what the role of a comptroller general is and what the role of the office of a comptroller general is. Also, the office was first created back, I believe, in 1918, and over the years there have been different profiles of the office.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My colleague, the associate secretary Robert Fonberg, is here with me. He will be making the opening remarks. He's here for our colleague, the secretary. Go ahead, Rob.

Public Accounts committee  I will ask what the protocol is for tabling that kind of information. I know there's some protocol to be followed regarding the advice of ministers, and so on. So I'll get back to you. I tabled the major conclusion on this at the government office. I might review that with my minister, if it's okay with the members.

Public Accounts committee  I'd like to thank the Auditor General and her staff for good work. My colleague has reminded me to say that one of our members, Frank, will be retiring six weeks from now. He's been with public accounts. It's been a pleasure working with Frank. Again, thank you very much to all the members.

Public Accounts committee  I will do so with pleasure.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, indeed.

Public Accounts committee  We could come back to you, Mr. Chair, and explain some of the issues.

Public Accounts committee  On the study, I believe it was this Tuesday that we met the government operations committee, where we shared some of the major findings of the study. I cannot tell you when the study will be released, but the key elements of the study were released. The study indicated that there are different ways that we can do an accrual basis of accounting, and we're presented with a matrix in which it can be done.

Public Accounts committee  It's not an expense. They're written off during that year.

Public Accounts committee  Well, if I take the example of government transfers, there is currently an exposure draft that explains the proposed new accounting standard. It would in effect demand the expensing of the transfers under certain conditions, but it would also force provinces, as we transfer money to the provinces, to recognize the transfer as revenue in the year they receive it.

Public Accounts committee  For the federal government, most of our transfers are expenses at the end of the year. Under Bill C-48, this year the expenses will be $3 billion plus. For the federal government, at the moment, it would not change that much. But in the provinces, I would suspect there will be some tension.

Public Accounts committee  As you said, this is a significant amount. If I'm not wrong, the biggest amount is with the Canada Revenue Agency, where they collect $220 billion of personal and corporate tax, and GST, and so on. They have procedures in place to collect--to identify it and vigorously go after that debt--but the question is whether this is enough.

Public Accounts committee  The transfer to people would be the single largest expense. The $33 billion out of $220 billion is a big one, but not the largest.

Public Accounts committee  You have transfer to people, then the transfer to government, about $40 billion.