Legislative Assembly Accountability Report 2014-15: Summary Report

A Summary Report to British Columbians

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Accountability Report, 2014-2015

A Summary Report to British Columbians

Legislative Assembly Management Committee

40th Parliament

December 2015

Table of Contents

Message from Madame Speaker

Progress and Achievements

Strengthening Budget Management

Enhancing Financial Administration

Modernizing Governance

Transparency Initiatives

Ensuring a Secure and Accessible Legislative Assembly

Priorities for Moving Forward

Key Performance Indicators 2014-15

2014-15 Key Initiatives

Financial Results

The Legislative Assembly Accountability Report 2014-15 highlights our actions to strengthen the Assembly’s financial management and administration. This new summary version provides an overview of our accomplishments during the past fiscal year.

The Parliament Buildings are where the Legislative Assembly’s 85 Members meet to represent their constituents as they consider new laws and the expenditure of public funds. The Parliament Buildings are also the people’s house, where British Columbians can see their Legislative Assembly at work and meet with their elected Members.

Over the past year, we have enhanced security, improved access to the Assembly, and made more information available online to Members and citizens. We increased the Assembly’s outreach to schools, with a renewed Speaker in the Schools program to engage with young people and encourage them to become involved in democracy and making their communities better. To find out more about our accountability to British Columbians and the work of the Legislative Assembly, I encourage you to read our Accountability Report 2014-15.

We worked with the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia and government partners on funding and a design to honour fallen paramedics in British Columbia. This new memorial recognizing these brave women and men was unveiled on the Assembly’s grounds in May 2015, between the existing British Columbia Law Enforcement and Firefighters memorials.

Sincerely,

Honourable Linda Reid, Speaker

Good financial management and administration at the Legislative Assembly require effective governance, the use of best practices for administrative rules and procedures, and accountability to British Columbians for the use of taxpayers’ funds.

The all-party Legislative Assembly Management Committee serves as the Assembly's parliamentary management board. It is responsible for: the sound administration of the Assembly’s operations; the provision of effective administrative and financial policies and support for Members in the discharge of their parliamentary and constituency responsibilities; and prudent Assembly budgets and expenditures.

Guided by principles of openness, transparency, and accountability, the Committee is:

• Improving accountability for the Legislative Assembly’s expenditures.
• Expanding the public disclosure of Members’ compensation and expenses.
• Enhancing the effectiveness of the Assembly’s financial management and administration.

At the top of its achievements in 2014-15, the Committee approved a budget containing total Legislative Assembly spending for the 2015-16 fiscal year at the previous year’s level, by limiting operating and administrative costs.

• The Committee supported the first ever independent Legislative Assembly Support Programs Accountability Review, to identify opportunities for efficiencies, cost savings, and ways to improve service delivery and ensure the best possible use of taxpayers’ funds. A robust fundamental review of support programs concluded that the Assembly compares well to other Canadian jurisdictions, and identified potential initiatives to generate savings of over $1 million.
• The Committee used the review’s recommendations to trim administrative and operating costs, improve program delivery, and redirect savings to higher priorities.

The Committee is overseeing a comprehensive multi-year program to enhance the financial administration of taxpayers’ funds. More rigorous internal controls are helping to ensure systematic and prudent administration of Assembly expenditures.

• For the second consecutive year, BC’s Office of the Auditor General audited the Assembly’s financial statements, and confirmed to British Columbians that the statements are reliable and fair.

Openness and transparency enable public sector entities to demonstrate that they are serving the public interest, supporting the engagement of citizens, and fostering public trust and confidence in decisions and actions.

• The Committee oversaw work to implement its decision to post receipts for Members’ travel and constituency office expenses on the Assembly’s website. The Legislative Assembly is the second parliamentary jurisdiction in Canada to post copies of Members’ reimbursable expense receipts.

A secure and accessible working environment enables the Legislative Assembly and Members to carry out their functions of holding government to account, and scrutinizing legislation, taxation, and spending initiatives.

• After the tragic October 2014 attack in Ottawa, the Committee reviewed the Assembly’s security framework and readiness. The Committee concluded that a principled approach to security and accessibility should be continued, with flexible administration to manage changing security risks. The Committee initiated key actions to ensure security and public accessibility at the Parliament Buildings.

Building on these achievements, the Legislative Assembly will focus on the following priorities in the year ahead.

• Advancing the Legislative Assembly’s multi-year program to strengthen financial management, accountability, and transparency – with support from the internal audit program, an updated financial/accounting system, revised financial and operating policies, an automated financial disclosure system, and improved reporting.
• Harnessing technology to increase the availability of parliamentary information and information services to Members and all British Columbians – with website innovations, improved document management systems, and more timely, and cost-effective Library information services.
• Ensuring safe and suitable facilities for the work of the Legislative Assembly and Members – to address increases in the number of Members, and evolving requirements to support the responsibilities of the Assembly and  Members.
• Implementing a robust Business Continuity, Earthquake Preparedness, and Disaster Recovery program – including collaboration with government to ensure the continued operation of governance institutions.
• Planning for the completion of arrangements for the dissolution of the 40th Parliament and for the next general election in May 2017 – with support for the induction of new Members, orientation and administrative programs for Members and their staff, and procedural advice and operational services for the launch of the new Parliament.

 

Legislative Assembly management and staff worked to support 2014-15 key initiatives for the organization.

Our work focused on the following:

• Supporting the Assembly’s key legislative functions – including the Assembly’s debate and adoption of the February 2015 budget, 19 ministry Estimates, and 37 bills, and 13 parliamentary committees carrying out three statutory officer appointment processes and a record six public consultations.
• Strengthening budget review – with the first ever independent Legislative Assembly Support Programs Accountability Review, and expanded reporting and analysis on budget management to support effective decision-making by the Legislative Assembly Management Committee.
• Reforming financial administration and transparency – through strengthened internal controls and administration, implementation of Committee decisions to enhance transparency on Assembly expenditures, Members’ compensation and expenses, and Executive Staff Travel quarterly reports.
• Ensuring a secure and accessible Legislative Assembly – with updated equipment and training, strategic partnerships with police and intelligence agencies, and enhancements to our business continuity and emergency preparedness plan.

The Legislative Assembly’s second set of audited annual financial statements received an unreserved (unmodified) opinion from the Auditor General of BC. As per the Audit Report on page 41 of the Accountability Report 2014-15, the financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards.

For the year ended March 31, 2015, the Legislative Assembly’s net cost of operations was $62.5 million (budget was $69.6 million) in comparison to $66.1 million in the previous year. In addition, the Legislative Assembly purchased $990 thousand (budget was $3.4 million) in capital assets in comparison to $1.9 million in the previous year.

The Accountability Report 2014-15 includes a new section called the Management Discussion and Analysis. This section provides insight and analysis on the Assembly’s financial results. Charts and tables, along with trend analysis, are used to visually illustrate and explain past and projected future results.

For more information and to read the Accountability Report 2014-15, visit our website at:
https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/accountability
	@bcLegislativeAssembly		Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

© 2015 Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

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