Thank you very much. And thank you, sir, for the support for the work of the office.
As you noted, we think we can provide an accountability framework based on OECD best practices, with full transparency, on budget implementations. There are some best practices that have been articulated by the OECD and the IMF. Based on those best practices and looking at the 2009 budget, which is an expansive budget with over 100 measures, we could actually kind of deconstruct that budget and use those best practices and prepare an accountability framework for all measures, including infrastructure.
Regarding infrastructure, sir, as you've noted—and I think you've noted it as well in question period, as other members have—there have been significantly increasing lapsed appropriations in recent years. This would certainly be one key area we're going to have to monitor and perhaps pay more attention to than others, if you look at the successful implementation. It's also a measure in Budget 2009 where the indicator has one of the biggest stimulus impacts for the Canadian economy. So it's essential, if we want to get the stimulus that we need to get in the economy, that this infrastructure be implemented in a timely way in 2009 and 2010, when the economy is likely to be at its weakest.
Sir, I think we could design an acountability framework based on stages that could roll out consistent with a quarterly kind of reporting system that would show that flow. It would be different from something we've seen before, so I think it would be important to have lots of deliberations with the public service, with members of committees. They'd be comfortable with that kind of framework. We haven't seen that kind of transparency.
The Auditor General has raised a number of points in recent years about putting money into end-of-year funds, trust funds, and we've not had the kind of accountability some parliamentarians would like. I think in some senses, given the nature of the severity of the economic problems we have, we probably need to look at new ways of doing this. I think a report that kind of looks at this money and how it's flowing, breaks it down at decision levels, down to the project, is actually essential in this kind of time, and we would look forward to preparing that type of report.