We're not trying to effect anything other than aligning the budget and the estimates process. The rules by which ministers are called before various committees to defend their departmental spending are currently based on the provision of the document currently called the main estimates, which is really what is going to turn into interim supply.
It would be open to PROC, understanding maybe from another line in our directional request to them, to make sure that they consider other aspects of the rules that don't limit the time for people to call ministers before them, by saying that we'll just trigger it based on the provision of interim supply, or we'll trigger it based on May 1, whether interim supply is tabled or not, or on whatever the appropriate rule is. Again, it's not our purview.
Concerning other transitional provisions that might be put in place, such as Mr. Weir's and also Messrs. McCauley and Clarke's concern that May 1 is too late, too far in the future, it might be okay for the next couple of years, because that's what the department has said is possible, and much of politics is the art of the possible, but we need to see a movement forward of that idea. I don't think even anyone on our side ultimately wants to see the main estimates only be delivered on May 1 of every year. We want to see government function. We want to have an opportunity to appropriately debate spending on all sides of the House.
Indeed, it was the commitment from Treasury Board that they would try to bring it forward. Maybe an agreement could be reached in PROC about what an appropriate pull forward would be. PROC might determine that it be May 1 for the next two years and April 1 after that. That might be something that PROC could reach unanimity on. But again, I'm only speculating.
I like Mr. Weir's idea that we say there be something among the orders such as “or such other changes as PROC sees fit”, to ensure that our members of Parliament have the opportunity to scrutinize and question ministers and see an ultimate advance in the time by which the main estimates and the budget are presented before the House.