Another issue that our committee has been seized with is the question of cash versus accrual accounting. The more I hear, the more it sounds to me as though the Australian system is actually fairly similar to the Canadian system in that respect. Our annual budget and consolidated financial statements are on an accrual basis, but our spending estimates are on a cash basis, with maybe some allowance for accrual concepts.
It sounds as though that's essentially where Australia stands, with a kind of an accrual budget but with the individual appropriations expressing more a cash concept. Is that right? If it is right, are you aware of other countries that would provide all of their departmental estimates or appropriations on an accrual basis?