For immediate release
March 31, 2008
Ottawa – The Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, today tabled the 2008-09 Reports on Plans and Priorities in the House of Commons on behalf of 93 federal depart ments and agencies.
The 2008-09 Reports on Plans and Priorities are departmental expenditure plans that elaborate on, and supplement, the information contained in the 2008-09 Main Estimates tabled on February 28, 2008. These r eports describe departmental plans over a three-year period, set out departmental priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain a department's expected results.
In an effort to improve its reporting to Parliament, the Gover nment is piloting a new format for the 2008-09 Reports on Plans and Priorities with four departments and agencies. The Treasury Board Secretariat, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Parks Canada and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency are presenting their Reports in a more concise format in an effort to make the reports less bureaucratic and easier to read.
"We are taking steps to improve how we present information to Parliamentarians and Canadians to help them to understand how the government manages tax dollars," said Minister Toews. "This means that Canadians can better hold the government to account."
In a further effort to improve the information available to Canadians, the Treasury Board Secretariat has prepar ed an Overview of Reports on Plans and Priorities. The overview is available through the Government of Canada Planning and Performance Gateway, which is available at www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ppg-cpr. This site allows visitors to navigate through the Government's planned spending and expected results in four outcome areas: economic, social, international and government affairs.
Please refer to the accompanying backgrounder for further d etails on the Estimates process. The 2008-09 Reports on Plans and Priorities and related documents are posted on the Treasury Board Web site at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estim e.asp.
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For more information, contact:
Mike Storeshaw
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Treasury Board
(613) 952-5051
Robert Makichuk
Chief, Media Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
(613) 957-2391
If there is a discrepancy between any printed version and the electronic version of this news release, the electronic version will prevail.
