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Financial statements

Statement of management responsibility including internal control over financial reporting

Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2015 and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). These financial statements have been prepared by management using the Government’s accounting policies which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of the information in these financial statements. Some of the information in the financial statements is based on management's best estimates and judgment and gives due consideration to materiality. To fulfill its accounting and reporting responsibilities, management maintains a set of accounts that provides a centralized record of the TSB's financial transactions. Financial information submitted in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada and included in the TSB's Departmental Performance Report is consistent with these financial statements.

Management is also responsible for maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) designed to provide reasonable assurance that financial information is reliable, that assets are safeguarded and that transactions are properly authorized and recorded in accordance with the Financial Administration Act and other applicable legislation, regulations, authorities and policies.

Management seeks to ensure the objectivity and integrity of data in its financial statements through careful selection, training, and development of qualified staff; through organizational arrangements that provide appropriate divisions of responsibility; through communication aimed at ensuring that regulations, policies, standards, and managerial authorities are understood throughout the TSB and through conducting an annual risk-based assessment of the effectiveness of the system of ICFR.

The system of ICFR is designed to mitigate risks to a reasonable level based on an on-going process to identify key risks, to assess effectiveness of associated key controls, and to make any necessary adjustments. The TSB is subject to periodic Core Control Audits performed by the Office of the Comptroller General and uses the results of such audits to ensure compliance with the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Control. A Core Control Audit was performed in 2012-13 by the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada. The Audit Report and related Management Action Plan are posted on the departmental web site at http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/divulgation-disclosure/index.asp.

The 2014-15 financial statements of the TSB have not been audited.

The original version was signed by
Kathleen Fox
Chair


Gatineau, Canada
June 30, 2015

The original version was signed by
Chantal Lemyre, CPA, CGA
Chief Financial Officer


Gatineau, Canada
June 30, 2015

Statement of Financial Position (unaudited)

As at March 31 (in thousands of dollars)
2015 2014
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (note 4) 2,791 2,445
Vacation pay and compensatory leave 1,197 1,155
Employee future benefits (note 5) 1,534 2,029
Total liabilities 5,522 5,629
Financial assets
Due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund 2,610 2,657
Accounts receivable and advances (note 6) 93 75
Total financial assets 2,703 2,732
Departmental net debt 2,819 2,897
Non-financial assets
Prepaid expenses 71 35
Inventory 91 104
Tangible capital assets (note 7) 6,112 5,813
Total non-financial assets 6,274 5,952
Departmental net financial position 3,455 3,055

Contractual obligations (note 8)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

The original version was signed by
Kathleen Fox
Chair


Gatineau, Canada
June 30, 2015

The original version was signed by
Chantal Lemyre, CPA, CGA
Chief Financial Officer


Gatineau, Canada
June 30, 2015

Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position (Unaudited)

For the year ended March 31 (in thousands of dollars)
  2015
Planned results
2015 2014
Expenses
Air investigations 15,157 15,889 15,370
Marine investigations 5,680 5,663 5,928
Rail investigations 5,929 6,795 7,728
Pipeline investigations 669 345 425
Internal services 7,075 6,172 6,470
Total expenses 34,510 34,864 35,921
Revenues
Air investigations 5 7 21
Marine investigations 2 3 8
Rail investigations 2 3 10
Pipeline investigations - - 1
Internal services 37 20 25
Total revenues 46 33 65
Net cost of operations before government funding 34,464 34,831 35,856
Government funding and transfers
Net cash provided by Government   31,993 32,367
Change in due from Consolidated Revenue Fund   (47) 1,134
Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears (note 10)   (726) -
Services provided without charge by other government departments (note 9)   4,011 4,083
Total Government funding and transfers   35,231 37,584
Net cost of operations after government funding and transfers   (400) (1,728)
Departmental net financial position - Beginning of year   3,055 1,327
Departmental net financial position - End of year   3,455 3,055

Segmented information (note 11)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (Unaudited)

For the year ended March 31 (in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Net cost of operations after government funding (400) (1,728)
Change due to tangible capital assets
Acquisition of tangible capital assets 1,456 1,203
Amortization of tangible capital assets (1,154) (955)
Proceeds from disposal of tangible capital assets (3) (21)
Total change due to tangible capital assets 299 227
Change due to prepaid expenses 36 (19)
Change due to inventory (13) (10)
Net decrease in departmental net debt (78) (1,530)
Departmental net debt - Beginning of year 2,897 4,427
Departmental net debt - End of year 2,819 2,897

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

For the year ended March 31 (in thousands of dollars)
Operating activities 2015 2014
Net cost of operations before government funding 34,831 35,856
Non-cash items
Amortization of tangible capital assets (1,154) (955)
Services provided without charge by other government departments (note 9) (4,011) (4,083)
Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears (note 10) 726 -
Variations in Statement of Financial Position
Increase in accounts receivable and advances 18 34
Increase (decrease) in prepaid expenses 36 (19)
Decrease in inventory (13) (10)
Increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (346) (452)
Increase in vacation pay and compensatory leave (42) (92)
Decrease in employee future benefits 495 906
Cash used in operating activities 30,540 31,185
Capital investing activities
Acquisitions of tangible capital assets 1,456 1,203
Proceeds from disposal of tangible capital assets (3) (21)
Cash used in capital investing activities 1,453 1,182
Net cash provided by Government of Canada 31,993 32,367

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Notes to the Financial Statements (Unaudited)

For the year ended March 31

1. Authority and objectives

The Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (CTAISB) was established in 1990 under the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and is a departmental corporation named in Schedule II to the Financial Administration Act. In its day-to-day activities the CTAISB is also known by the name Transportation Safety Board of Canada, or simply the TSB. The objective of the TSB is to advance transportation safety. It seeks to identify safety deficiencies in transportation occurrences and to make recommendations designed to eliminate or reduce any such safety deficiencies. In addition to investigations, including where necessary public inquiries into selected occurrences, the TSB may conduct studies into more general matters pertaining to transportation safety. The TSB has the exclusive authority to make findings as to causes and contributing factors when it investigates a transportation occurrence.

The TSB has four key programs, which are the conduct of safety investigations in the following four transportation sectors:

Within each program, personnel conduct independent safety investigations into selected transportation occurrences. They identify causes and contributing factors, assess risks to the system, formulate recommendations to improve safety, publish investigation reports, communicate safety information to stakeholders, undertake outreach activities with key change agents, as well as assess and follow up on responses to recommendations. These activities are carried out by highly qualified investigators who are experts in the transportation operational sectors. They also work closely with personnel who are responsible for executing specialized work in the following fields: engineering and technical, macro-analysis, human performance and communications.

The Internal services program also contributes to the achievement of TSB’s strategic outcome. This program includes the functions and resources required to support the needs of the programs of the four transportation modes and to meet the department’s corporate obligations in areas such as human resources, finance, administration, communications, information management and information technology.

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

The financial statements have been prepared using the Government’s accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

(a) Parliamentary authorities

The TSB is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to the TSB does not parallel financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles since authorities are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the Statement of Financial Position and the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 3 provides a reconciliation between the two bases of reporting. The planned results amounts in the “Expenses” and “Revenues” sections of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position are the amounts reported in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities. Planned results are not presented in the “Government funding and transfers” section of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt because these amounts were not included in the 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities.

(b) Net cash provided by Government

The TSB operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by the TSB is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by the TSB are paid from the CRF. The net cash provided by Government is the difference between all cash receipts and all cash disbursements, including transactions between departments of the Government.

(c) Due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)

Amounts due from the CRF are the result of timing differences at year-end between when a transaction affects authorities and when it is processed through the CRF. Amounts due from the CRF represents the net amount of cash that the TSB is entitled to draw from the CRF without further authorities to discharge its liabilities.

(d) Revenues

Revenues are accounted for in the period in which the underlying transaction or event occurred that gave rise to the revenue takes place.

(e) Expenses

Expenses are recorded on an accrual basis:

(f) Employee future benefits

(g) Accounts receivable and advances

Accounts receivables and advances are stated at the lower of cost and net recoverable value.

(h) Contingent liabilities

Contingent liabilities are potential liabilities that may become actual liabilities when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. To the extent that the future event is likely to occur or fail to occur, and a reasonable estimate of the loss can be made, an estimated liability is accrued and an expense recorded. If the likelihood is not determinable or if an amount cannot be reasonably estimated, the contingency is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

(i) Inventory

Inventories consist of personal protective clothing, corporate communications clothing and supplies held for future program delivery and not intended for resale. Inventory is valued at cost using the average cost method. If there is no longer any service potential, inventory is valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value.

(j) Tangible capital assets

All tangible capital assets having an initial cost of $2,000 or more are recorded at their acquisition cost. In addition, acquisitions of all general-purpose furniture and informatics hardware are recorded as tangible capital assets regardless of their acquisition cost.

Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:

Capital assets class Amortization period
Building 40 years
Furniture 10 years
Office equipment and tools 5 years
Laboratory equipment 15 years
Informatics hardware 4 years
Informatics software - Purchased 7 years
Informatics software - In house developed 10 years
Motor vehicles 7 years
Other vehicles 15 years
Leasehold improvements Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or useful life of the improvement.
Betterments Over the useful life of the asset to which the improvement was made or the useful life of the betterment if significantly shorter.

Assets under construction are recorded in the applicable capital asset class in the year that they become available for use and are not amortized until they become available for use.

(k) Measurement uncertainty

The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements. At the time of preparation of these statements, management believes the estimates and assumptions to be reasonable. The most significant items where estimates are used are the useful life of tangible capital assets and the liability for employee future benefits. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated. Management’s estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, they are recorded in the financial statements in the year they become known.

3. Parliamentary authorities

The TSB receives most of its funding through annual parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the Statement of Financial Position and the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position in one year may be funded through parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. Accordingly, the TSB has different net results of operations for the year on a government funding basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:

(a) Reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year authorities used

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Net cost of operations before government funding 34,831 35,856
Adjustments for items affecting net cost of operations but not affecting authorities
Services provided without charge by other government departments (4,011) (4,083)
Amortization of tangible capital assets (1,154) (955)
Increase in vacation pay and compensatory leave (42) (92)
Decrease in employee future benefits 495 906
Accrual for unratified collective agreements (108) -
Refund of previous years' expenses 22 21
Revenues 33 65
(Increase) Decrease in accrued liabilities not charged to authorities (51) 411
  (4,816) (3,727)
Adjustments for items not affecting net cost of operations but affecting authorities
Acquisitions of tangible capital assets 1,456 1,203
Increase (decrease) in prepaid expenses 36 (19)
Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears (note 10) 726 -
Decrease in inventory (13) (10)
  2,205 1,174
Current year authorities used 32,220 33,303

(b) Authorities provided and used

(in thousands of dollars)
2015 2014
Authorities provided
Operating expenditures - Vote 1 26,058 26,926
Transfer from TB - Vote 15- Compensation adjustments 784 582
Transfer from TB - Vote 25- Operating Budget Carry Forward 657 804
Transfer from TB- Vote 30- Paylist requirements 1,237 1,310
Statutory contributions to employee benefit plans 3,522 3,747
Statutory spending of proceeds from disposal of surplus Crown assets 17 53
Spending of revenues as per Financial Administration Act Section 29.1 29 61
Less
Authorities available for future years (3) (14)
Lapsed: Operating (81) (166)
Current year authorities used 32,220 33,303

4. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

The following table presents details of the department's accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Accounts payable to other government departments and agencies 383 130
Accounts payable to external parties 667 679
Total accounts payable 1,050 809
Accrued liabilities 1,741 1,636
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,791 2,445

5. Employee future benefits

(a) Pension benefits

The TSB's employees participate in the public service pension plan (the “Plan”), which is sponsored and administered by the Government of Canada. Pension benefits accrue up to a maximum period of 35 years at a rate of 2 percent per year of pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings. The benefits are integrated with Canada/Québec Pension Plan benefits and they are indexed to inflation.

Both the employees and the TSB contribute to the cost of the Plan. Due to the amendment of the Public Service Superannuation Act following the implementation of provisions related to Economic Action Plan 2012, employee contributors have been divided into two groups – Group 1 relates to existing plan members as of December 31, 2012 and Group 2 relates to members joining the Plan as of January 1, 2013. Each group has a distinct contribution rate.

The 2014-2015 expense amounts to $2,407,376 ($2,634,578 in 2013-2014). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.41 times (1.6 times in 2013-2014) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.39 times (1.5 times in 2013-2014) the employee contributions.

The TSB's responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan's sponsor.

(b) Severance benefits

The TSB provides severance benefits to its employees based on eligibility, years of service and salary at termination of employment. These severance benefits are not pre-funded. Benefits will be paid from future authorities. Information about the severance benefits, measured as at March 31, is as follows:

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Accrued benefit obligation, beginning of year 2,029 2,935
Expense for the year 404 840
Benefits paid during the year (899) (1,746)
Accrued benefit obligation, end of year 1,534 2,029

As part of collective agreement negotiations with certain employee groups, and changes to conditions of employment for executives and certain non-represented employees, commencing in 2012 the accumulation of severance benefits under the employee severance pay program ceased for these employees. Employees subject to these changes have been given the option to be immediately paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value of benefits on termination from the public service. These changes have been reflected in the calculation of the outstanding severance benefit obligation.

6. Accounts receivable and advances

The following table presents details of the department's accounts receivable and advances:

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Receivables from other government departments and agencies 37 47
Receivables from external parties 47 19
Employee advances 9 9
Total accounts receivable and advances 93 75

7. Tangible capital assets

(in thousands of dollars)
Cost Opening Balance Acquisitions Disposals and write-offs Adjustments Closing Balance
Building 2,348 - - (215) 2,133
Furniture 776 2 - - 778
Office equipment and tools 315 5 (5) (16) 299
Laboratory equipment 2,588 622 (48) 23 3,185
Informatics hardware 2,233 172 (315) - 2,090
Informatics software - Purchased 690 17 - - 707
Informatics software - In house developed 4,567 638 - 521 5,726
Motor vehicles 603 - - - 603
Other vehicles 87 - - - 87
Leasehold improvements 782 - - - 782
Betterments 906 - - 215 1,121
Assets under construction 528 - - (528) -
Total 16,423 1,456 (368) - 17,511
(in thousands of dollars)
Accumulated amortization Opening Balance Amortization Disposals and write-offs Closing Balance 2015
Net book value
2014
Net book value
Building 2,039 10 - 2,049 84 309
Furniture 483 75 - 558 220 293
Office equipment and tools 173 44 (5) 212 87 142
Laboratory equipment 1,791 127 (45) 1,873 1,312 797
Informatics hardware 1,691 229 (315) 1,605 485 542
Informatics software - Purchased 553 36 - 589 118 137
Informatics software - In house developed 2,187 462 - 2,649 3,077 2,380
Motor vehicles 310 49 - 359 244 293
Other vehicles 66 6 - 72 15 21
Leasehold improvements 593 66 - 659 123 189
Betterments 724 50 - 774 347 182
Assets under construction         - 528
Total 10,610 1,154 (365) 11,399 6,112 5,813

8. Contractual obligations

The nature of the TSB's activities can result in some large multi-year contracts and obligations whereby the TSB will be obligated to make future payments when the services/goods are received. Significant contractual obligations that can be reasonably estimated are summarized as follows:

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Total
Acquisition of goods and services 142 141 69 4 0 356

9. Related party transactions

The TSB is related as a result of common ownership to all Government of Canada departments, agencies and Crown corporations. The TSB enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms. Also, during the year, the TSB received services which were obtained without charge from other Government departments as disclosed below.

a) Common services provided without charge by other government departments

During the year, the TSB received without charge from other departments: accommodation, workers' compensation and the employer's contribution to health and dental insurance plans. These services without charge have been recognized in the TSB's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position as follows:

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Accommodation 2,152 2,144
Employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans 1,832 1,914
Workers' compensation 27 25
Total 4,011 4,083

The Government has centralized some of its administrative activities for efficiency, cost-effectiveness purposes and economic delivery of programs to the public so that one department performs services for all other departments and agencies without charge. The costs of these services, such as the payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada, are not included as an expense in the TSB's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position.

(b) Other transactions with related parties

(in thousands of dollars)
  2015 2014
Expenses - Other Government departments and agencies 5,061 5,251
Revenues - Other Government departments and agencies 8 7

Expenses and revenues disclosed in (b) exclude common services provided without charge, which are already disclosed in (a).

10. Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears

The Government of Canada implemented salary payments in arrears in 2014-15. As a result, a one-time payment was issued to employees and will be recovered from them in the future. The transition to salary payments in arrears forms part of the transformation initiative that replaces the pay system and also streamlines and modernizes the pay processes. This change to the pay system had no impact on the expenses of the Department. However, it did result in the use of additional spending authorities by the Department. Prior to year end, the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears were transferred to a central account administered by Public Works and Government Services Canada, who is responsible for the administration of the Government pay system.

11. Segmented Information

Presentation by segment is based on the TSB's program alignment architecture. The presentation by segment is based on the same accounting policies as described in the Summary of significant accounting policies in note 2. The following table presents the expenses incurred and revenues generated for the main programs, by major object of expense and by major type of revenue. The segment results for the period are as follows:

(in thousands of dollars)
Air Marine Rail Pipeline Internal services 2015 2014
Operating Expenses
Salaries and employee benefits 12,384 4,554 5,389 263 4,409 26,999 27,978
Professional and special services 1,000 125 178 7 608 1,918 2,015
Accommodation 947 409 430 22 344 2,152 2,144
Transportation and communications 557 185 311 7 346 1,406 1,603
Amortization 517 282 231 39 85 1,154 955
Repairs and maintenance 236 38 75 4 33 386 403
Utilities, materials, supplies and equipment 131 29 65 2 57 284 320
Rentals 84 23 75 284 466 382
Information 33 18 41 1 6 99 121
Total Operating expenses 15,889 5,663 6,795 345 6,172 34,864 35,921
Revenues
Miscellaneous Revenues 7 3 3 - 20 33 65
Total revenues 7 3 3 - 20 33 65
Net cost of operations before governement funding 15,882 5,660 6,792 345 6,152 34,831 35,856