If I can just fill in, Mr. Chairman, I think it was around 1995 that there was a committee struck to review the estimates and the reporting to Parliament. The way the estimates were reported was changed and they became the plans and priorities. At the same time, we introduced this retrospective reporting to Parliament of the departmental performance reports.
Prior to about 1995, there was no annual report by departments to Parliament. That was instituted then. It has been a good exercise. It is the only document that's actually made public that encompasses a report of the whole department on what they're doing for the whole year. There were bits and pieces coming out here and there and reports to Parliament and they'd come to committees to make their statements, but this was the first time that a department sent out an annual report to its shareholders—the people, via Parliament.
On the issue of accounts, we're only asking for two. There are about 75 annual departmental reports published every year, including all the agencies, and so on—only two, at random, because you never know if your name is going to be pulled. So it's a motivating factor.
When it comes to the cost of accountability, I just happened to notice that the supplementary estimates were tabled this morning. For Parliament, being an institution of oversight, our cost is $480 million just for ourselves, and our job is oversight. So this additional cost is minuscule, and I think it can provide great benefit.