2008-09 Financial Statements

Table of Contents

1. CFGB Statement of Management Responsibility
2. Statement of Operations
3. Statement of Financial Position
4. Statement of Equity of Canada
5. Statement of Cash Flow
6. Notes to the Financial Statements

Statement of Management Responsibility

Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2009 and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board. These financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with Treasury Board accounting policies which are consistent with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector.

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 Canadian Forces Grievance Board's financial transactions. Financial information submitted to the Public Accounts of Canada and included in the Canadian Forces Grievance Board's Departmental Performance Report is consistent with these financial statements.

Management maintains a system of financial management and internal control designed to provide reasonable assurance that financial information is reliable, that assets are safeguarded and that transactions are in accordance with the Financial Administration Act, are executed in accordance with prescribed regulations, within Parliamentary authorities, and are properly recorded to maintain accountability of Government funds. Management also seeks to ensure the objectivity and integrity of data in its financial statements by careful selection, training and development of qualified staff, by organizational arrangements that provide appropriate divisions of responsibility, and by communication programs aimed at ensuring that regulations, policies, standards and managerial authorities are understood throughout the Canadian Forces Grievance Board.

The financial statements of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board have not been audited.

Ottawa
July 21st, 2009

Statement of Operations

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

Statement of Financial Position

Contractual obligations (note 9)

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

Statement of Equity of Canada

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

Statement of Cash Flow

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

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

1. Authority and Objectives

The Canadian Forces Grievance Board (CFGB) is an independent, arms-length organization that was created through amendments to the National Defence Act (NDA) approved by Parliament on December 10, 1998. The amendments that were made to the NDA were aimed at modernizing and strengthening the military justice system, making the whole grievance review process simpler and shorter for members of the Canadian Forces. The CFGB's mandate is to review grievances in order to render fair and impartial findings and recommendations in a timely and informal manner to the Chief of Defence Staff and the grievor.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Treasury Board accounting policies which are consistent with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

1. Parliamentary appropriations – the Canadian Forces Grievance Board is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary appropriations. Appropriations provided to the CFGB do not parallel financial reporting according to Canadian generally accepted accounting principles since appropriations are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the statement of operations and the statement of financial position, are not necessarily the same as those provided through appropriations from Parliament. Note 3 provides a high-level reconciliation between the bases of reporting.
2. Net Cash Provided by Government - The department operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by the department is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by the department 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 federal government.
3. Change in net position in the Consolidated Revenue Fund is the difference between the net cash provided by Government and appropriations used in a year, excluding the amount of non respendable revenue recorded by the department. It results from timing differences between when a transaction affects appropriations and when it is processed through the CRF.
4. Revenues:
   • Revenues from regulatory fees are recognized in the accounts based on the services provided in the year.
   • Funds received from external parties for specified purposes are recorded upon receipt as deferred revenues. These revenues are recognized in the period in which the related expenses are incurred.
   • Other revenues are accounted for in the period in which the underlying transaction or event occurred that gave rise to the revenues.
   • Revenues that have been received but not yet earned are recorded as deferred revenues.
5. Expenses: Expenses are recorded on the accrual basis:
   • Vacation pay and compensatory leave are expensed as the benefits accrue to employees under their respective terms of employment;
   • Services provided without charge by other government departments for the employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans and legal services are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.
6. Employee future benefits
   1. Pension benefits: Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan, a multiemployer plan administered by the Government of Canada. The department's contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent the total departmental obligation to the plan. Current legislation does not require the department to make contributions for any actuarial deficiencies of the Plan.
   2. Severance Benefits: Employees are entitled to severance benefits under labour contracts or conditions of employment. These benefits are accrued as employees render services necessary to earn them. The obligation relating to the benefits earned by employees is calculated using information derived from results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.
7. Accounts and loans receivables are stated at amounts expected to be ultimately realized; a provision is made for receivables where recovery is considered uncertain.
8. Contingent liabilities – Contingent liabilities are potential liabilities which 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 an amount cannot be reasonably estimated, the contingency is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.
9. Tangible capital assets – All tangible assets and leasehold improvements having an initial cost of $10,000 or more are recorded at their acquisition cost. The Board does not capitalize intangibles, works of art and historical treasures that have cultural, aesthetic or historical value, assets located on Indian Reserves and museum collections.

   Tangible capital assets consist of informatics hardware, purchased or developed software, other equipment and amortization is done on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of 3 years.

10. Measurement uncertainty - The preparation of these financial statements in accordance with Treasury Board accounting policies which are consistent with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector 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 contingent liabilities, the liability for employee severance benefits and the useful life of tangible capital assets. 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 Appropriations

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

4. Tangible Capital Assets

(in dollars)

Amortization expense for the year ended March 31, 2009 is $18,415 (2008 - $21,935).

5. Accounts Receivable and Advances

The following table presents details of accounts receivable and advances:

(in dollars)

6. Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities

The following table presents details of accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

(in dollars)

7. Employee Benefits

1. Pension benefits: The Board's employees participate in the Public Service Pension 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 pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings. The benefits are integrated with Canada/Québec Pension plans benefits and they are indexed by inflation.

   Both the employees and the Board contribute to the cost of the Plan. The 2008-09 expense amounts to $393,568 ($449,887 in 2007-08), which represents approximately 2.0 times (2.1 in 2007-08) the contributions by employees.

   The Board'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.

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

8. Contingent liabilities

Claims and litigation

Claims have been made against the Board in the normal course of operations. Legal proceedings for claims totalling approximately $40,000 ($50,000 in 2008) were still pending at March 31, 2009. Some potential liabilities 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 in the financial statements.

9. Contractual Obligations

The nature of the Board's activities can result in some large multi-year contracts and obligations whereby the Board 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:

10. Related party transactions

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

Services provided without charge

During the year the Board received without charge from other department the employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans. These services without charge have been recognized in the Board's Statement of Operations as follows:

The Government has structured some of its administrative activities for efficiency and cost-effectiveness purposes so that one department performs these on behalf of all without charge. The costs of these services, which include payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada and audit services provided by the Office of the Auditor General are not included as an expense in the department's Statement of Operations.