First , cost is a problem. This is the minimum price of accountability of federal spending to public scrutiny. This cost could be significantly reduced if the pre-1986 format for the Main Estimates was reinstated reporting five years of data. The federal government has, however, made the Budget and Estimates available in electronic as well as paper format. This does not mean electronic information is free.
Federal policies are, at present, ambiguous and subject to differing departmental policies.
Treasury Board, for example, tends to make electronic products available to libraries at no cost, while the Department of Finance applies a cost-recovery policy in some cases, e.g. detailed budget papers. Parts I and II of the Estimates are now available in electronic format. Second , Part III presents other compatibility problems. Thus while the Participation and Official Language Support components of the Canadian Identity Program are reported for five years, sometimes down to the level of grants and contributions, the Cultural and Heritage Development component is not. Similarly, Parks Canada and Corporate Management are reported for only this year's estimates, last year's forecast and one previous year's actual spending.