Brison<\/span>\u00a0said, putting a positive spin on what unfolded at multiple, drawn-out committee appearances.\u00a0“The timing was the issue.”<\/p>\nSome\u00a0MPs wanted to call witnesses, including parliamentary budget officer\u00a0Jean-Denis\u00a0Fr\u00e9chette.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A PBO report last November suggested that based on how long it took for the Treasury Board to work through\u00a02016 budget measures, delaying the main estimates by eight weeks might not be enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fr\u00e9chette\u00a0said the\u00a02012 committee recommendation for a fixed budget date is a better idea.<\/p>\n
“For me, it’s the way to go,” he said. Although it wasn’t unanimous, it expressed\u00a0what Parliament wants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Changing standing orders is a “huge challenge,” he said.<\/p>\n
‘Fundamental battle’<\/h2>\n
Brison’s other reforms\u00a0don’t require Parliament’s permission.<\/p>\n
Spending reports are changing. New reconciliation tables now make it easier for MPs to compare budget figures with spending\u00a0estimates.<\/p>\n
But there’s a fine balance between offering MPs more useful information and just … more. Too much for any individual parliamentarian to digest without help, perhaps.<\/p>\n
Some spending votes are being reorganized, to link up with programs.<\/p>\n
![\"PBO](\"http:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/RSSPoster_PRO\/cache\/03a06_pbo-infrastructure-20170221.jpg\")
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Parliamentary budget officer Jean-Denis Fr\u00e9chette’s office was asked to review the proposed changes to the estimates process. He sounded a few notes of caution and suggested areas where more consideration might help. (Adrian Wyld\/Canadian Press)<\/p>\n
Fr\u00e9chette\u00a0says MPs like this\u00a0idea. But if appropriations get too specific, it takes discretion away from\u00a0public servants and cabinet ministers to move\u00a0money around as needed.<\/p>\n
“If you need parliamentary approval every time you want to shift money, it becomes a very heavy system,” Fr\u00e9chette said, describing this as a “fundamental battle,” since MPs are supposed to hold\u00a0the ultimate responsibility for spending taxpayers’ money.<\/p>\n
And then there’s the possibility that if MPs know more about what they’re voting on and don’t like it, they might vote it down.<\/p>\n
The precedents for this are few and far between, but it is possible. In 2003, MPs\u00a0voted their displeasure at a large increase in the governor general’s budget, for example.<\/p>\n
In reality, however, spending votes are confidence votes. If MPs feel frustrated reviewing the estimates, it might stem from their perceived inability to amend anything.<\/p>\n
Can Brison’s reforms really help then?<\/p>\n
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” Fr\u00e9chette\u00a0said. “It’s really still to be seen if it’s going to be used by Parliament in a good way.”<\/p>\n
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