Thank you, Madam Chair.
In a good number of reports, the Auditor General states that accrual accounting is the method to use. Several meetings have demonstrated that progress has been made towards implementing a system of accrual accounting across the federal government, but that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Once again, Mr. Salole and yourself, as well as other experts we have met with, are demonstrating that accrual accounting ensures greater transparency as regards the collection and use of public funds by the government. Accrual accounting may also prompt the government to spend less in certain areas and make more appropriate decisions. And all of that benefits taxpayers.
We have covered the topic quite thoroughly. My colleagues asked very relevant questions about both technical and more general matters. My question is more general.
As you mentioned earlier, New Zealand and British Columbia, which is a province of Canada, have experience with some of the more technical points. In your opinion, what more should the federal government be doing to ensure that it has a system of accrual accounting that is just as good as the one used in other countries?
British Columbia doesn't have an army, but New Zealand does. There are things related to military spending that we could look at, if only to see how you move from cash accounting to accrual accounting in an area like that.
If the will were there, what else would Canada have to do to implement accrual accounting in a reasonable amount of time?