Government Operations committee  Let me add a footnote to that.

Government Operations committee  A generation ago, the fiscal year in the United States was changed. It was advanced forward three months, from July 1 to October 1, the rationale being that this would give the United States Congress three additional months to complete its work on the budget. What we've learned

Government Operations committee  You're right.

Government Operations committee  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that Canada is the only holdout, but clearly it's in the minority. Most countries overwhelmingly have moved toward a consolidated budget. I don't know enough about Canada to explain why it has persisted with the old system. It might simply be ine

Government Operations committee  The parliamentary budget office is inherently a hybrid. It cannot attach to a committee, and it's not a completely independent organization along the lines of the national budget office in Korea or the Congressional Budget Office in the United States. I do think the Parliamenta

Government Operations committee  First of all, I'm a little wary, when two experts agree, that it isn't a conspiracy of sorts. I can't tell you whether the Parliamentary Budget Officer simply has what I'll call growing pains—the new kid on the block, and Treasury Board and other mandarins in Ottawa kind of circl

Government Operations committee  It's a pleasure to be a good neighbour and to discuss the Canadian practice, even though I'm not an expert on it. I want to begin by indicating that good practice is not necessarily a precondition for good budget outcomes. My own country, the United States, is an example of thi