Preserving hopes in accounting reforms-the case of WGA

This article illuminates the longstanding challenges faced by Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) and how its frequently asserted significance rests more on its claimed potential than its demonstrable impact. Various 'mechanisms of hope' have been used to justify and sustain the reform, while also shifting attention away from the problematic nature of WGA's practical application. Accounting must move beyond the world of possibilities to demonstrating the positive, practical difference(s) it has made. In contemplating how to account for the whole of government, there is an ongoing need to envisage and debate what government represents and what needs to be in place if government itself is to achieve what is expected of it by those it governs. Overall, the article provides a timely reminder that the fundamental value of accounting rests in, and needs to be judged on, much more than the mere production of new or different sets of accounts. This article assesses the nature of hopes placed in Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) and the degree to which such hopes are preserved when confronted with the realities of implementation. The analysis shows that the struggles to implement accounting reforms do not necessarily follow a trajectory whereby 'naive' hopes become 'reflective' ones with time and experience. Advocates of WGA are resilient-maintaining their longstanding faith alongside an accompanying incredulity for opponents of WGA who fail to appreciate its value.