A technical briefing is available at 11:00 am today April 11, for journalists interested in better understanding the Main Estimates and Budget Implementation votes. Please contact [email protected] for teleconference coordinates.
OTTAWA, April 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadians and the parliamentarians who represent them have the right to know how public funds are being spent, and to hold the government to account. The Government of Canada is continuing its work to improve the clarity, transparency and accountability of financial reporting and strengthen oversight of government spending.
Today, Treasury Board President and Minister of Digital Government, Joyce Murray, tabled the 2019–20 Main Estimates in the House of Commons, along with the 2019–20 Departmental Plans of 88 government departments and agencies.
The Main Estimates detail the government's plan to support the middle class as presented in Budget 2019, including historic investments in housing, skills training, and our most vulnerable seniors. The Main Estimates support the government's request for Parliament to approve $300 billion in spending to deliver programs and services in the fiscal year starting April 1.
This year, new Budget 2019 measures are reflected in the Main Estimates through a series of Budget implementation votes, presented by department and by measure. Parliamentarians will have the opportunity to vote on 194 individual measures, which provides them with extra clarity and helps relevant parliamentary committees to study these measures.
To provide parliamentarians with information as soon as possible, the Departmental Plans tabled today reflect only pre-Budget spending as presented in the Main Estimates. To ensure departments' planned spending is aligned with planned results, supplementary information for measures announced in Budget 2019 will be tabled in the House of Commons in the coming weeks.
This approach will ensure that the Main Estimates and Departmental Plans are fully aligned with the Budget, and will improve clarity, transparency and accountability to Canadians.
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"Following the money is fundamental to the role of parliamentarians. Our Government is continuing to increase the clarity, transparency and accountability of public spending. We introduced reforms in 2018, we listened, and now we are making it even easier for parliamentarians and Canadians to track the expenditure of tax dollars."
- The Honourable Joyce Murray, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government
Quick Facts
- The Main Estimates include $126 billion in planned voted expenditures and $174 billion in statutory expenditures.
- The Main Estimates reflect spending proposals that are already planned and represent the maximum amounts that can be spent.
- Budget 2019 measures are included in measure-specific Budget Implementation votes for each department to enable relevant parliamentary committees to examine all of the organizations' planned spending.
- Part 1 of the Main Estimates, the Government Expenditure Plan, gives an overview of spending requirements for 2019–20 and comparisons to previous fiscal years.
- Part II of the Main Estimates provides information on estimated spending by each federal organization requesting authority to spend through a 2019–20 appropriation bill.
- Departmental Plans provide details on an organization's mandate, priorities and operations, and resource requirements found in the Main Estimates.
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SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Contacts (media): Farees Nathoo, Media Relations, Office of the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government, 613-369-3170; Media Relations, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Telephone: 613-369-9400, Toll-free: 1-855-TBS-9-SCT (1-855-827-9728), TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 613-369-9371, Email: [email protected]
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