Understanding transparency in UK defence management

Thompson, G.; Louth, John

doi:10.1111/faam.12194

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Demonstrating that a government has properly attended to controlling its finances requires that a window into its operations be created so citizens can satisfy themselves that their government is acting responsibly. While defining transparency in a public sector context can be problematic (Thompson & Louth, 2019), it is an important mechanism of accountability (Heald, 2003), offering a view for “distant others” (Roberts, 2009, p. 957) into government activities that would otherwise be obscure or invisible. Transparency is provided in large part by Canada's annual financial statements and other aspects of its public accounts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A history of net debt as a reflection of Canadian federal government fiscal management

Baker

Rennie

2023

Financ Acc Manag

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Canada entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a strong fiscal position, which gave it room to mitigate its economic impacts. Of interest in this paper is the history of Canada's financial position in terms of net debt as reported in the Government of Canada's annual financial statements. Net debt is a measure of fiscal sustainability that has been reported in the Government of Canada's public accounts since the country's earliest days. It created (and continues to create) a particular visibility of the "effectiveness" of the federal government's financial management and of the country's financial position at a particular point in time but also impacts future political policy. Although there were periods of sharp increases in the federal net debt over the country's history, the federal government was always able to regain control, and this has resulted in the reasonable level of net debt the country has today. This study shows how this net debt changed, was sustained over time, and was influenced by the political and economic context in which it was situated. We find evidence of its use for supporting government accountability to the population but also as an accounting measure employed by the government to influence public opinion and thereby gain support for government policy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%