Report on the 2006-2007 Pre-Budget Review Process.

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight is pleased to present its report on its 2006-2007 Pre-Budget Review. This report covers both the committee's review of the 2006-2009 Draft Business Plans, which took

place in September 2005, and also its review of the 2006-2007 Draft Main Estimates, which took place in January 2006.

During this budget cycle, changes were introduced with the goal of increasing the level of public debate and involvement in the budget process. The first change was the implementation of pre-budget public consultations, which the committee undertook late in the summer of 2005. The committee presented its report on those consultations last October, and looks forward to the tabling of the government's response later in this sitting.

The second change was to the process committees use to review the draft main estimates. In the past, committees have met with Ministers over a two-week period leading up to the budget session to review the draft main estimates for each of the departments in detail. Committee members were concerned that much of the discussion during these reviews was redundant and should be taking place in the Legislative Assembly, where it would be on the public record, rather than in closed-door meetings. This year, the draft main estimates review was shortened to a meeting of approximately two days between the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight and the Minister of Finance. The primary purpose of this meeting was to give committee members an opportunity to receive information on changes made to the budget since last September's draft business plans, while leaving the detailed department-by-department review for the Legislative Assembly. It is hoped that this new approach will lead to more energetic and informative budget debates on the floor of the House.