That's a very good and very difficult question. I think one has to look at the broader historical perspective. On the one hand, in modern budgeting there has been a diminished role for legislatures over a period of time. If we go back to the Magna Carta, back to the king, and see what's happened, we have seen a gradual reduction in the role of the legislature.
I think you're having Professor Schick, who is the international expert in this area, come to the committee in the future. It's a very good question to put to him. I think the role of Parliament has been smaller with regard to the actual analysis of the estimates, largely because it fundamentally cannot change what's in the estimates, save for a minority situation. I think that's had an impact on it.
I also think the budget has become the everything of government. The focus around the budget is enormous, and that has had an enormous impact on how the budgeting of public money has been perceived and I think the work of committees has gone somewhat unnoticed. I think if there were greater opportunity for some of the work of committees to be better noticed in the review of estimates, by focusing on one or two key areas, there might be greater opportunity to give more focus to it and, I hope, bring about some of the changes that are necessary.
The last point I would make is that Parliament has to present its position in a coherent way in its reports as well, and push forward with some determination and strength to deal with the issues that are there.