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1999 Report of the Auditor General of Canada

1999 Report

Appendix E—The Costs of Crown Corporation Audits Conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

Section 147 of the Financial Administration Act requires that the Office disclose the costs of preparing audit reports on all Crown corporations other than those exempted under section 85 of the Act (see Exhibit 1). An audit report includes an opinion on a corporation's financial statements and on its compliance with specified authorities. It may also include reporting on any other matter deemed significant.

The Office is also required by section 68 of the Broadcasting Act to report the cost of any audit report on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. For the fiscal year ended 31 March 1999, the full cost of the annual audit report was $482,065.

Section 138 of the Financial Administration Act requires that, at least once every five years, each parent Crown corporation named in Schedule III of the Act undergo a special examination. This is distinct from the requirement for the annual audit of financial statements.

The objective of a special examination is to determine whether a corporation's financial and management control and information systems and its management practices provide reasonable assurance that:

  • assets have been safeguarded and controlled;
  • financial, human and physical resources have been managed economically and efficiently; and
  • operations have been carried out effectively.
In 1998-99 the Office completed the special examination of eight Crown corporations. The costs were:

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

$875,779

Business Development Bank of Canada (Joint Examiner)

$580,378

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

$956,176

Canadian Commercial Corporation

$247,459

Defence Construction (1951) Limited

$210,091

National Arts Centre Corporation

$644,432

Pacific Pilotage Authority

$101,729

Via Rail Canada Inc.

$1,189,668

Exhibit 1

Costs of Preparing Annual Audit Reports for Fiscal Years Ending on or before 31 March 1999

Crown Corporation

Fiscal Year Ended

Cost Incurred

Atlantic Pilotage Authority

31.12.98

$ 55,442

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (Joint Auditor)

31.03.99

217,662

Atomic Energy Control Board

31.03.99

50,016

Business Development Bank of Canada (Joint Auditor)

31.03.99

202,744

Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation

31.03.99

119,353

Canada Development Investment Corporation (Joint Auditor)

31.12.98

44,003

Canada Lands Company Limited (Joint Auditor)

31.03.99

132,553

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Joint Auditor)

31.12.98

231,389

Canadian Commercial Corporation

31.03.99

80,760

Canadian Dairy Commission

31.07.98

129,350

Canadian Museum of Civilization

31.03.99

79,527

Canadian Museum of Nature

31.03.99

85,899

Cape Breton Development Corporation

31.03.99

310,202

Defence Construction (1951) Limited

31.03.99

47,748

Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

31.03.99

119,135

Export Development Corporation

31.12.98

461,057

Farm Credit Corporation

31.03.99

358,947

Federal Bridges Corporation Ltd.

31.03.99

39,113

Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation

30.04.98

142,689

Great Lakes Pilotage Authority, Ltd.

31.12.98

58,060

Laurentian Pilotage Authority

31.12.98

79,962

Marine Atlantic Inc.

31.12.98

228,709

National Capital Commission

31.03.99

198,051

National Gallery of Canada

31.03.99

94,872

National Museum of Science and Technology

31.03.99

69,244

Old Port of Montreal Corporation Inc.

31.03.99

112,533

Pacific Pilotage Authority

31.12.98

46,483

Petro-Canada Limited

31.12.98

13,883

Queens Quay West Land Corporation

31.03.99

54,251

Royal Canadian Mint

31.12.98

289,333

The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority

31.09.98

146,277

     Seaway International Bridge Corporation Ltd.

31.12.98

41,782

     The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated

31.03.99

78,202

Standards Council of Canada

31.03.99

49,695

VIA Rail Canada Inc. (Joint Auditor)

31.12.98

205,930