Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, the change to the Standing Orders that is required for this would be moving the deadline for the main estimates from March 1 to May 1. This committee has the ability, as a committee, to recommend to Parliament a change. We will work on this with members of Parliament from all parties.
On the timing of it, really, in order to have this change apply to the next main estimates and budget, it would require something basically sometime in November. I would hate to see us lose a year in terms of this significant improvement. I view any change like this as part of an evergreening approach. We as Parliament should always look at ways we can strengthen parliamentary governance and good governance broadly on an ongoing basis.
In other words, from a change that we make now in terms of the Standing Orders, the next budget and estimates process will see a more logical sequencing of the budget and estimates, with the main estimates actually reflecting what's in the budget. Then, as time goes on....
I look at the Australia model, for instance, where the budget and main estimates appear almost at the same time, or even in Ontario, where it's about 12 days after. As the departments become accustomed to this new timing and sequencing, there will be a tightening of budget and estimates timing over time that will operationalize as a result of greater efficiency. I view this as the start. Over time you'll see a tightening of budget and estimates timing so that they're more coincident.