A new website launched Thursday by the Parliamentary Budget Officer aims to help MPs and the public keep better tabs on the ups and downs of federal government spending.
Called the "Integrated Monitoring Database," the searchable program compiles all of the available data from government spending in a way that is easier to understand.
At a time when all government departments are scouring through internal budgets for places to save money, the database allows users to compare spending for specific items – such as spending on a cabinet minister's salary and car allowance – to see if it is up or down in comparison to last year or the year before.
In one of two reports released Thursday, the PBO suggests the database will help MPs focus on which areas of government spending they may want to ask questions about.
Tracking government spending is currently a challenge given the many ways it is tracked and reported, including the use of two different accounting methods: cash and accrual.
Final spending for the year that ends March 31 is reported every fall in the Public Accounts. Going forward, the Main Estimates are produced each spring and voted on by MPs but they do not provide a full picture of how much government departments are planning to spend.
That's because the Main Estimates are always updated later by two or three Supplementary Estimates. The PBO database aims to incorporate these updates as they become available.
One of the PBO reports looking at how other countries report spending data says there's room for improvement.
The Government of Canada's current interim reporting regime contains less detail and is less timely than other jurisdictions," it notes.
Bill Curry