We've made a good start, colleagues. I have listed seven subjects from around the table: procurement, public service staff turnover, accrual accounting, sale of government assets, greening of government operations, stimulus package, and supplementary estimates. This list is going to have to go to informal discussion among members and to the steering committee, if necessary. We'll bring it back to discuss here as future business.
In the meantime, now we have to pick something short-term that will get us up and running. I had hoped that members would want to take a preliminary look at stimulus spending across government as we move into a phase during which the government will be attempting to implement its budget. I had hoped we would be able to come back here on Thursday and review two aspects of the stimulus spending envelope. One is where stimulus spending should be targeted. Where is it best targeted? It's not a precise science. Some of that data can come from Statistics Canada.
The other side of it would be the driver of the stimulus spending. That is, somewhere around the Privy Council and the Treasury Board, somewhere there is a departmental perspective on how the stimulus spending will be rolled out. There will be some obstacles in terms of parliamentary passage. There may be other obstacles we're unaware of. But as they pertain to government operations and the way government is going to embark upon this, I think we should get a snapshot as it begins.
The following week I think we should be prepared to have our first hearings on the supplementary estimates. These estimates are going to have to be reported back to the House by a specific date. I understand that there are negotiations between the parties now about when that date should be. The rules, I think, provide a date. Maybe I'll just ask the staff now.
Is there a date provided for in the Standing Orders?