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, 2020 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 Results 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 programs 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 comply with the Treasury Board Policy on Financial Management. 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.html.

The 2019-20 financial statements of the TSB have not been audited.

Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)

Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position (Unaudited)

Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (Unaudited)

Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

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 the following four key programs to support the "independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system" "core responsibility:

• Aviation Occurrence Investigations
• Marine Occurrence Investigations
• Rail Occurrence Investigations
• Pipeline Occurrence Investigations

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 2019-20 Departmental Plan. 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 2019-20 Departmental Plan.

(b) Net cash provided by Government

The TSB operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General of 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:

• Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits accrue to employees under their respective terms of employment.
• Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation, workers' compensation, the employer’s contribution to health and dental insurance plans are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.

(f) Employee future benefits

• Pension benefits: Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan, a multi-employer pension plan administered by the Government. The TSB's contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent the total TSB obligation to the Plan. 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.
• Severance benefits: The accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures ceased for applicable employee groups. The remaining obligation for employees who did not withdraw benefits is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.

(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 $5,000 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:

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.

(l) Related party transactions

Related party transactions, other than inter-entity transactions, are recorded at the exchange amount. Inter-entity transactions are transactions between commonly controlled entities. Inter-entity transactions, other than restructuring transactions, are recorded on a gross basis and are measured at the carrying amount, except for the following:

1. Services provided on a recovery basis are recognized as revenues and expenses on a gross basis and measured at the exchange amount.
2. Certain services received on a without charge basis are recorded for departmental financial statement purposes at the carrying amount.

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

(b) Authorities provided and used

4. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

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

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 2019-2020 expense amounts to $2,561,087 ($2,321,397 in 2018-2019). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.01 times (1.01 times in 2018-2019) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.00 times (1.00 times in 2018-2019) 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 Consolidated 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. However, since 2011 the accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures progressively ceased for substantially all employees. Employees subject to these changes were given the option to be paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value of benefits upon departure from the public service. By March 31, 2020, all settlements for immediate cash out were completed. Severance benefits are unfunded and, consequently, the outstanding obligation will be paid from future authorities.

The changes in the obligations during the year were as follows:

6. Accounts receivable and advances

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

7. Tangible capital assets

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:

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, 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:

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 Services and Procurement Canada, are not included as an expense in the TSB's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position.

(b) Other transactions with other government departments and agencies

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

10. Segmented Information

Presentation by segment is based on the TSB's core responsibility. 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 core responsibility, by major object of expense and by major type of revenue. The segment results for the period are as follows:

11. Subsequent Events

The outbreak of the Coronavirus disease [“COVID-19”] has resulted in governments worldwide enacting emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus. These measures, which include the implementation of travel bans, self-imposed quarantine periods and social distancing, have caused material disruption to businesses globally resulting in an economic slowdown.

The TSB has determined the impact of COVID-19 to be non-material on its financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2020. Any possible future impacts on the TSB’s financial position and financial results in future periods are still to be determined.

12. Adjustments to prior year’s results

In 2019-2020, the Transportation Safety Board conducted a review of the tangible capital asset accounting policy. The TSB decided to increase the capitalization threshold from $2,000 to $5,000. An analysis was carried out by the department to determine the need to process a retroactive adjustment. Considering that the materiality of the change was not significant, this change has been applied prospectively and comparative information for 2018-2019 has not been restated.