Public Accounts committee  It might be quite a challenge to try to capture all of that on a very simple level. Essentially, you set your financial plan based on your federal budget and your final financial performance through your reporting on an accrual basis. The supply process in between is on a cash or

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a small point of clarification. There is a distinction between the budgeting side and the appropriation side. So where the report indicated that we didn't think the initiative had gone far enough was on the budgeting side at the departmental level. F

Public Accounts committee  Thank you. The chapter looked at how the government had taken action to deal with the recommendations we had put in place in the past. What we saw are essentially laying the groundwork and making sure there is good policy and guidance to support the community, professionalizati

Public Accounts committee  They would have been. We certainly do work independent of this particular performance audit. For example, as you are aware, we audit the accounts of the Government of Canada. In there, in some instances, we're able to look at some of the departmental controls and place reliance o

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, as the member pointed out, it is absolutely important to make sure there is that central leadership. Starting right from the Federal Accountability Act, designating an accounting officer, placing the responsibility squarely on the deputy head of an agency is very impor

Public Accounts committee  Yes. We recognize that, and for that reason we are expressing that satisfactory progress has been made since the last audit.

Public Accounts committee  I'm Nancy Cheng. With me is Mr. Michael Pickup. He's the principal responsible for this audit.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. We welcome this opportunity to discuss chapter 1 of our spring 2011 status report, “Financial Management and Control and Risk Management”. Canadians expect their government to be managed well and to be accountable for the safeguarding of public assets. Th

Public Accounts committee  I don't think I have very much to add. I think it's really the comparison when you leave Canada that you recognize how well regarded we are. I remember in one forum—and I don't remember where it was—where the French were complimenting themselves because they actually had a qualif

Public Accounts committee  There certainly has been better reporting since that time, but the efforts in terms of the reporting have gone into less detail as time has passed. In the end, I believe we had to rate the performance reporting aspect as less satisfactory overall. What is of concern is that the

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chairman, I believe at the time they were addressing the implications of the Patriot Act in the United States. They felt that was a priority and that took away the staff, the same staff who had to look at identity management issues.

Public Accounts committee  What they did was a comprehensive review. They identified that there was a lack of clarity being given by various departments and agencies. They felt that work needed to be done, and they'd done consultation. At the time, when they shifted the effort to look at the Patriot Act, t

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, in terms of the 6.4 million that remain, we are not aware of any particular initiative to reduce that. In reality, most of the effort taken was in trying to reduce the gap between the population over 30 years old and the actual number of active so

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chairman, I should point out the fact that they are pursuing the route of vital events statistics with various provinces. That can help to validate the data on a broader basis and not necessarily just aim at the 6.4 million. So there are other ongoing initiatives to try to pr