Thanks, Brenda.
There are a couple of things. One is, you reminded me, that this is actually one of the four pillars of reform that we believe are important. There are estimates and budget timing, which is what we're focusing on here today. There's also this accounting approach with regard to the methods and cash and accrual reconciliation for parliamentarians. There's a vote structure or a program-based expenditure approval, and then reportage to Parliament and to Canadians. Departmental reporting is changing, such that departmental plans and departmental results are simpler. There are four areas broadly.
There's need for some flexibility initially. All things being equal, if we could deliver the kind of result that I would like to within the fiscal year immediately, I think we would all agree to that. This will take time. Within the departments, it's a very significant undertaking, and changing practices have evolved over decades. I want us to be successful in and among other things in seeing the main estimates rendered more relevant and meaningful by having more of the budget items in the main estimates. That requires a lot of work in advance between Treasury Board and Finance and other departments and agencies. It's a fundamental shift. This committee raised concerns about this in the beginning, and we believe that the proposal we're making, to have a year and five months, whereby there would be two budget cycles, and an additional period going up to April 30, will provide us with the operational flexibility for our public servants and our officials to deliver a good result. I think at the end of that, going to the budget estimates before the end of the fiscal year, will deliver a good result that we'll be able to achieve at that point. We're being totally transparent about the direction of this and about the ability to get this right in the first year and a half.