Future-oriented Financial Statements 2011-12

Statement of Management Responsibility

Management is responsible for these future-oriented financial statements, including responsibility for the appropriateness of the assumptions on which these statements are prepared. These statements are based on the best information available and assumptions adopted as at December 15, 2010, and reflect the plans described in the Report on Plans and Priorities.

1. Authority and Objectives

The Parliament of Canada adopted the first Official Languages Act in 1969. This Act provided that English and French would henceforth have “equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all the institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada.”

A new Official Languages Act came into force in 1988 and was amended on November 25, 2005. The Act sets out three basic objectives of the Government of Canada:

1. ensure respect for English and French as official languages of Canada, and ensure equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all federal institutions;
2. set out the powers, duties and functions of federal institutions with respect to the official languages of Canada;
3. support the development of English and French linguistic minority communities and generally advance the equality of status and use of the English and French languages within Canadian society.

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL), which serves the public from its offices in Ottawa and its five regional offices, supports the Commissioner of Official Languages in fulfilling his mandate. The mandate of the Commissioner consists of taking all necessary measures to ensure recognition of the status of each of the official languages and compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act in the administration of the affairs of federal institutions, including any of their activities relating to the advancement of English and French in Canadian society.

The Office is named in Schedule I.1 of the Financial Administration Act (FAA) and is funded through annual appropriations.

The Commissioner of Official Languages is appointed after approval of the appointment by resolution of the Senate and the House of Commons for a seven-year term (renewable). The Commissioner reports directly to Parliament.

2. Significant Assumptions

The future-oriented financial statements have been prepared on the basis of the government priorities and the plans of OCOL as described in the Report on Plans and Priorities.

The main assumptions are as follows:

1. OCOL's activities will remain substantially the same as for the previous year;
2. Expenses, including the determination of amounts internal and external to the government, are based on historical experience. The general historical pattern is expected to continue;
3. Estimated year end information for 2010-11 is used as the opening position for the 2011-12 forecasts.

These assumptions are adopted as at December 15, 2010.

3. Variations and Changes to the Forecast Financial Information

While every attempt has been made to accurately forecast final results for the remainder of 2010-11 and for 2011-12, actual results achieved for both years are likely to vary from the forecast information presented, and this variation could be material.

In preparing these financial statements the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has made estimates and assumptions concerning the future. These estimates and judgements may differ from the subsequent actual results. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Factors that could lead to material differences between the future-oriented financial statements and the historical financial statements include:

1. The timing and amounts of acquisitions and disposals of equipment may affect gains/losses and amortization expense.
2. Further changes to the operating budget through new initiatives or technical adjustments later in the year.

Once the Report on Plans and Priorities is presented, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages will not be updating the forecasts for any changes to appropriations or forecast financial information made in ensuing supplementary estimates. Variances will be explained in the Departmental Performance Report.

4. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The future-oriented financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Treasury Board accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

1. Parliamentary authorities

   OCOL is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary authorities. The cash accounting basis is used to recognize transactions affecting Parliamentary authorities. The future-oriented financial statements are based on accrual accounting. Consequently, items presented in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations and the Future-oriented Statement of Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 5 provides a reconciliation between the bases of reporting.

2. Net Cash Provided by Government

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

3. Due from/to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)

   Amounts due from/to 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 represent the net amount of cash that OCOL is entitled to draw from the CRF without further authorities to discharge its liabilities.

4. Accounts receivable

   Accounts receivable are stated at amounts expected to be ultimately realized. A provision is made for receivables where recovery is considered uncertain.

5. Tangible capital assets

   OCOL records as capital assets all expenses providing multi year benefits and having an initial cost of $1,000 or more. Similar items under $1,000 are expensed in the Statement of Operations. OCOL does not capitalize intangibles.

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

   Asset Class	Amortization Period
   Machinery and equipment	5 years
   Informatics hardware	4 years
   Furniture	5 years
   Informatics software	3 years
   Motor vehicles	7 years
   Leasehold improvements	Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or the useful life of the improvement

6. Expenses

   Expenses are recorded on the accrual basis:

   1. Vacation pay and compensatory leave

      Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits are earned by employees under their respective terms of employment.

   2. Services provided without charge by other government departments

      Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation, the employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans, audit and payroll services are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.

   3. Workers' compensation benefits

      The Government of Canada sponsors workers' compensation benefits available across Canada. OCOL is charged for its share of the annual benefit payments incurred under this Plan. These amounts represent OCOL's contribution to the Plan and they are recorded by OCOL as an expense in the period incurred. As a participant, OCOL has no other obligation to any of these plans in addition to its annual contributions.

7. Employee future benefits

   1. Severance benefits

      Employees are entitled to severance benefits, as provided for under labour contracts and conditions of employment. The cost of these benefits is accrued as employees render the services necessary to earn them. The obligation relating to the benefits earned by employees is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.

   2. Pension benefits

      Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan, a multiemployer plan administered by the Government of Canada. OCOL's contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent OCOL's total obligation to the Plan. Current legislation does not require OCOL to make contributions for any actuarial deficiencies of the Plan.

5. Parliamentary Authorities

OCOL receives its funding through annual Parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the statement of operations and the statement of financial position in one year may be funded through Parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. Accordingly, OCOL 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:

6. Tangible Capital Assets

7. Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities

8. Employee Future Benefits

9. Related party transactions

OCOL is related as a result of common ownership to all Government of Canada departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. OCOL enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms.

During the year, OCOL is forecasted to receive without charge from other government departments and agencies, accommodation, employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans, audit and payroll services. These services without charge have been recognized in OCOL's future-oriented Statement of Operations as follows:

10. Segmented Information