Government Operations committee  Thank you for the question. We have seen over the last 10 years a wide variation in terms of budget tabling. We've seen something as early as January, in 2009, in response to the global economic crisis. As recently as 2015, we had a different problem in the energy market and a precipitous drop in energy prices, which had all kinds of impacts and implications for the government's ability to forecast and project requirements.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Minister. As the minister said, we absolutely are working very closely with Finance to lessen the time or shorten the gap between the tabling of the budget and presentation of the main estimates. The fact remains, however, that there are instances when the Department of Finance needs some flexibility in terms of the timing of the budget.

Government Operations committee  Right. As the minister said, what we have tried to do is reflect the spirit of the 2012 report from OGGO in which they requested a specific fixed budget date. But the reality is there is nothing in the Standing Orders, in the Financial Administration Act, or our Constitution about budgets, and therefore we are not in a position to specify what that tabling date is.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the president of the Treasury Board mentioned, the purpose of today's presentation is to explain to you the government's vision for estimates reform. We also want to explain how we plan to support parliamentarians more effectively by providing the best possible information for the purpose of approving government spending.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. McCauley. The costs this year are the anticipated costs for this year. It's an annual appropriation.

Government Operations committee  It sunsets in March, and there's a one-year extension.

Government Operations committee  Thank you. There were two points. First of all, in his report on supplementary estimates (A) on May 18, the PBO was quite complimentary or encouraged by the fact that we've included a reconciliation table that allows one to crosswalk between the accrual budget and the cash estimates.

Government Operations committee  I will simply say, Mr. Whalen, that the budget planning process includes a risk provision—the Department of Finance will include a component of risk in its budget forecast—and also that Parliament votes the Treasury Board a contingencies vote, $750 million for government contingencies, which is a release valve for pressures on programs and services.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Minister. Thank you for the question, Mr. Whalen. As the minister has made clear, we've made very good progress in better aligning or integrating, as our Australian friends mentioned, the budget and the estimates process. We believe that by properly sequencing the tabling of the documents so that the estimates come at the same time or slightly after the budget, we can make additional progress.

Government Operations committee  Right. That's a great question, Mr. Whalen. In the C.D. Howe report that the minister referenced earlier today, and that I would commend to the committee, Controlling the Public Purse, there was a grading of Canada's senior governance. The starting point for C.D. Howe was to ask whether a reasonably informed parliamentarian or citizen could move from the budget to the estimates to the public accounts and find information.

Government Operations committee  It would be our pleasure.

Government Operations committee  Right. Primarily it is about our values, our competencies as executives, the technical requirements around controller general, financial policies, the staffing process for the government. It is that sort of training, very unique to functional communities within the government.

Government Operations committee  First of all, there was a policy decision to move from AECL being a crown corporation to a government-owned, contractor-operated model. That went to both cabinet and then to Treasury Board for approval. The contracting process, the selection of the consortium, was a submission to Treasury Board for approval.

Government Operations committee  I would have to get details on the RFP process and the number of bids, but yes, there were very prominent global firms bidding for that. The consortium is an international consortium of both Canadian and international firms.

Government Operations committee  Right. As part of the new model, the government-owned, contractor-operated model, for what is now known as Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, there was a transfer of some responsibility. There was a program previously at NRCan, known as the nuclear legacy liabilities program, and that might be the initiative you are referring to.