Madam Chair, don't laugh too much at the first session.
At the first meeting, I skipped my turn because I was still trying to understand what accrual accounting meant. Fortunately, my colleagues, and particularly our Chair, have a sense of humour.
Gentlemen, thank you for being here. I have several very practical questions to ask. I also want to leave enough time for my colleague.
My first question is to Mr. McCarter. In your presentation, you said the main purpose of accounting is to support decision-making. This seems obvious to me since information is the basis.
In the documentation our analysts gave us about appropriations and the appropriations framework, I noticed that Ontario and British Columbia do not have budget carry-overs. Any unused funds are thus sent back to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
In connection with a proper decision-making process, wouldn't it be helpful to ask ministries, departments and agencies and their officials to start saving instead of going on a spending spree in March, when it's finally time to buy equipment and furniture? I don't know if you still have this situation but we used to have it in the past, and it was rather sad. Wouldn't it be better to save some percentage, say 10 or 15%, and to make good use of it the next year, even if it's to buy equipment, furniture and so on? I would like to have it a short answer explaining why you don't have any carry-overs.