Ministry of Finance

Public Accounts of Ontario

2007-2008

Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements

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To The Honourable
David C. Onley
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

May It Please Your Honour:

The undersigned has the honour to present the Public Accounts of the Province of Ontario for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Treasury and Economics Act.

Respectfully submitted,

The Honourable Dwight Duncan
Minister of Finance
Toronto, August 2008

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Guide to the Public Accounts
Annual Report
Supporting Volumes
Statement of Responsibility

FINANCIAL STATEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Highlights
Analysis of 2007-08 Results
Financial Management
Revenue
Investments
Impacts on Financial Position
Results from our Investments
Jobs and Prosperity
Success for Students
Better Health
Improved Management
2008 Budget Interim Estimates

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Auditor’s Report
Consolidated Statement of Operations
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
Consolidated Statement of Change in Net Debt
Consolidated Statement of Change in Accumulated Deficit
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Schedules to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Glossary
Sources of Additional Information

FOREWORD

I am pleased to present the 20072008 Ontario Public Accounts. The surplus for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008 was $1.7 billion, before taking into account our new Investing in Ontario Act, 2008. Under the act, $1.1 billion in additional transfers is being provided to municipalities resulting in a final surplus of $600 million being put towards reducing the Province’s accumulated deficit.

This is the third consecutive surplus for Ontario a record of which we are proud because it shows that our approach to financial management, based as it is on discipline and prudence, has been successful.

When the government took office in October 2003, Ontario faced a $5.5 billion fiscal deficit and serious investment shortages in our education and health care systems, as well as our infrastructure and Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens.

Today, funding has been restored to these key areas and our fiscal position has improved dramatically with our responsible and prudent financial management.

The 2007 Budget continued to make important investments in education, health care and infrastructure, while launching initiatives to expand opportunities for children and families and to protect the environment.

Ontario’s 20072008 performance demonstrated the resilience of our economy in the face of key global challenges beyond the province’s control high oil prices, a slower U.S. economy and a strong Canadian dollar that has particularly impacted our manufacturing base.

In recognition of these global factors, the government announced strategic steps in its Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review last fall to assist manufacturers and workers through a $3 billion package of business tax measures and investments in skills, training and infrastructure over three years. This included more than $600 million in tax cuts for 200708.

In the 2008 Budget, our government initiated further steps to assist workers displaced by changing global economic forces. A $1.5 billion, three-year Skills to Jobs Action Plan, plus additional infrastructure spending and new business tax relief, were implemented to create jobs in the short term and strengthen our economy in the long term.

The international factors that impacted Ontario’s economy last year remain as challenges. The government must remain responsible in its management of provincial finances while continuing to invest in key priority areas.

Over the past five years, the government has taken a number of steps to enhance transparency and accountability, including the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act passed by the Ontario legislature in 2004. The act ensures that economic updates are released to the public in a timely fashion.

The government remains committed to a five-point economic plan, which seeks to:

• make investments in the skills and education of our people
• accelerate our investments in infrastructure
• support innovation
• lower business costs
• strengthen key partnerships to maximize our future potential.

We are investing in Ontario’s strongest asset its people so that this province will continue to successfully compete in the global economy.

In order to provide a stimulus to our economy, we passed historic legislation in the spring the Investing in Ontario Act. This legislation allows the government flexibility to use year-end surpluses to invest more dollars in our communities during times of moderate economic growth, in addition to deficit reduction.

Based on Ontario’s 200708 financial performance, municipalities will receive $1.1 billion funds that will allow our municipal partners to address some immediate capital needs in our communities, whether it is to improve roads and bridges, expand transit or upgrade social housing.

For 20072008, municipalities were chosen as the recipients because we know investing in municipal infrastructure means more jobs in the short term and improved prosperity in the long run.

Taking a prudent, balanced and fiscally responsible approach means investing in key priorities such as skills training, education, infrastructure and innovation. At the same time, we’re making strategic cuts to business taxes and strengthening partnerships.

By making strategic investments and ensuring an attractive business environment, we are taking the right steps to ensure a bright future for all Ontarians now, and in the years to come.

Introduction

The Annual Report, which forms part of the Public Accounts of the Province of Ontario, outlines Ontario’s financial position and the results of operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. This report is one of the major financial accountability documents of the Province, wrapping up the financial results of the past year. It represents the final outcome of the Ontario Budget for 2007–08 that was released in March 2007.

In April 2007, the Province released Ontario’s first Pre-Election Report on Ontario’s Finances, in line with requirements of the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, 2004 (FTAA). The first document of its kind in Canada, the Pre-Election Report was independently reviewed by the province’s Auditor General, who found the fiscal plan for 2007–08 presented in the report to be reasonable. This Annual Report provides the public with actual results compared to the plan.

The Province continues to improve its financial management to enhance transparency and accountability. For 2007–08, we strengthened the accountability framework for government investments made in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. The new measures increase confidence in the due diligence applied to public investments.

The Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis provided in this report builds on the commitment to openness and transparency in financial information. It helps to show the links between financial results and the outcomes of public investments. The report also highlights the financial management principles that the Province uses in support of its fiscal goals.

Producing the Public Accounts of Ontario requires the teamwork and cooperation of a large number of staff in ministries, agencies and organizations in the broader public sector. In addition, the Office of the Auditor General plays a critical role in reviewing and reporting on the Province’s financial statements. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in preparing the 2007–08 Public Accounts for their very important contributions.

Comments on the Public Accounts are welcome. Please share your thoughts by e-mail at annualreport@ontario.ca, or by writing to the Office of the Provincial Controller, Re: Annual Report, Ontario Ministry of Finance, First Floor, Frost Building South, 7 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON M7A 1Y7.

Guide to the Public Accounts

The Public Accounts of the Province of Ontario comprise this Annual Report and three supporting volumes.

Annual Report

The Annual Report includes a Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis that explains the financial and other results, as well as the Province’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Consolidated Financial Statements are made up of several documents and schedules:

• The Auditor General’s Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements expresses the opinion of the Auditor General that the statements fairly report the activities of the government in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.
• The Consolidated Statement of Operations reports the annual surplus or deficit from operations in the period. It shows government revenue, the cost of providing services and other expenses, and the difference between them.
• The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position shows the financial and non-financial resources of the Province against its obligations. The Province’s obligations less its financial resources is called its net debt. The Province’s accumulated deficit is its net debt less the value of its tangible capital assets and the net assets of hospitals, school boards and colleges.
• The Consolidated Statement of Change in Net Debt shows the combined impact on net debt of the Province’s annual surplus, changes in the fair market value of ONFA funds, and its investments during the year in tangible capital assets and the net assets of hospitals, school boards and colleges.
• The Consolidated Statement of Change in Accumulated Deficit shows the impact of the annual surplus or deficit and changes in the fair market value of Ontario Nuclear Funds Agreement investments (ONFA funds) on the Province’s accumulated deficit.
• The Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow shows the sources and uses of cash over the period. Government’s operating activities, including the annual surplus, and changes in its financial investments, may use or provide cash over the fiscal year. Increases in debt are a source of cash, while investments in tangible capital assets and the net assets of hospitals, school boards and colleges are uses of cash.
• Notes and schedules provide further information and detail on the items in the various statements and form an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The notes also include a summary of the significant accounting policies that guide the financial statement reporting.

Supporting Volumes

• Volume 1 contains ministry statements and detailed schedules of debt and other items.
• The ministry statements reflect the financial activities of the government’s ministries on the accrual basis of accounting, providing a comparison of appropriations with actual spending. Ministry expenses include all expenses that are subject to appropriation approved by the Legislative Assembly, but exclude adjustments arising from consolidation of government organizations whose expenses are not appropriated.
• Volume 2 contains the financial statements of significant provincial corporations, boards and commissions that are part of the government’s reporting entity, and other miscellaneous financial statements.
• Volume 3 contains detailed schedules of ministry payments.

Statement of Responsibility

The Consolidated Financial Statements and Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis are prepared by the Government of Ontario in compliance with legislation and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for governments in Canada.

The government accepts responsibility for the objectivity and integrity of these Consolidated Financial Statements and the Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis.

The government is also responsible for maintaining systems of financial management and internal control to provide reasonable assurance that transactions recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements are within statutory authority, assets are properly safeguarded and reliable financial information is available for preparation of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Consolidated Financial Statements have been audited by the Auditor General of Ontario and his report appears on page 27 of this document.

Colin Andersen  Deputy Minister August 1, 2008		Bruce L. Bennett, CA Assistant Deputy Minister and Provincial Controller August 1, 2008



Financial Statement
Discussion
 and
Analysis

Highlights

The Province achieved a surplus of $600 million in 200708, exceeding its 2007 Budget target for the year. Higher-than-expected revenues allowed the government to increase its investments in key areas, particularly infrastructure, to strengthen Ontario’s economy, and to reduce the accumulated deficit.

In 200708, the Province invested a total of $9.9 billion in infrastructure to improve Ontario’s highways, public transit, municipal roads and bridges, hospitals, places to learn and other public assets. These investments included an additional $1.1 billion provided to Ontario municipalities through the new Investing in Ontario Act, 2008. Investing in infrastructure is a crucial component of a strong economy and part of the government’s five-point plan for jobs and growth in Ontario.

The five-point plan focuses on:

• Investing in skills and knowledge
• Investing in infrastructure for a stronger Ontario
• Lowering business costs
• Strengthening the environment for innovation
• Forming key partnerships to strengthen Ontario.

As a further economic stimulus, and in line with the plan, the government also announced more than $600 million in tax cuts for 200708.

Table 1
2007–08 Actual Results against Budget Plan
($ Billions)

	2007–08 Budget	2007–08 Actual	Change
Revenue	91.5	97.1	5.6
Expense
Programs	82.0	87.6	5.6
Interest on debt	9.1	8.9	(0.2)
Total Expense	91.2	96.5	5.4
Annual Surplus 1	0.4	0.6	0.2
1 A reserve of $750 million included in the 2007 Budget plan is not shown in the above results, as it was not needed during the year.
Note: Budget numbers and related variances may not add due to rounding.

Revenue for 200708 was $5.6 billion higher than the original plan set out in the 2007 Budget, as the economy outperformed the 2007 forecast.

The Investing in Ontario Act, 2008 gives the government the ability to increase its investments when a surplus is greater than expected. This year, a higher-than-expected surplus gave the government the opportunity to provide additional infrastructure funding to municipalities. Total expense was $96.5 billion, $5.4 billion above plan, including the additional infrastructure investment.

In total, the Province provided more than $3.5 billion to municipalities for infrastructure in 200708. These investments are evidence of a more collaborative and productive relationship between the Province and Ontario municipalities. Forming key partnerships to strengthen Ontario is another element of the government’s five-point plan.

The five-point plan also stresses the need to invest in skills and knowledge and strengthen the environment for innovation. That is why additional investments in the 200708 fiscal year included increased funding for education and training, innovation, and business and economic development.

These and other investments over the past five years are achieving measurable results:

• Stronger public infrastructure and major transit improvements are allowing people and goods to move more swiftly and productively, reducing congestion, delays, greenhouse gases and other pollution.
• Strategic investments are helping Ontario to keep and create good jobs, and giving people the training they need to adapt to an ever-changing and ever-more competitive global economy.
• Children are now learning in smaller classes, test scores are up, and far more of Ontario’s young people are finishing high school and going on to postsecondary education, training and apprenticeships. Schools, colleges and universities are benefiting from upgraded and more modern facilities.
• Ontario is moving to a culture of conservation and increasing the availability of clean, renewable sources of energy.
• More people have access to primary health care, and that care is being delivered in new, more effective ways. Wait times have been cut for all targeted medical procedures. The health care sector is more accountable, with a greater focus on local needs.


Ontario’s families, as well as our economy, are enjoying the benefits of the government’s investments in infrastructure, education and health care. These benefits are not just being felt today, but are also helping to ensure a stronger and more competitive economy in Ontario for years to come.

At the same time, the government’s efforts of the past five years to improve financial management have provided a strong fiscal base. After inheriting a deficit of $5.5 billion for 200304, this government’s three consecutive surpluses have contributed a total of $3.2 billion towards reducing Ontario’s accumulated deficit.

This improved fiscal position is particularly important as Ontario faces a more challenging global economy. New data since the end of the fiscal year show that the economy performed below expectations for the first quarter of 2008. Careful management of the fiscal plan will allow the government to focus on priorities. Diligence will be even more crucial as Ontario successfully addresses current challenges.



Analysis of 2007-08 Results

This analysis compares the actual 200708 results to the plan presented in the Budget of March 22, 2007.

Table 2
200708 Operating Results against Budget Plan
($ Billions)

	2007–08 Budget	2007–08 Actual	Change
Revenue
Taxation	64.3	68.4	4.1
Government of Canada	16.1	16.6	0.5
Income from government business enterprises	4.0	4.4	0.4
Other non-tax revenue	7.1	7.7	0.6
Total Revenue	91.5	97.1	5.6
Expense
Health	37.9	38.2	0.3
Education, postsecondary and training	18.6	19.1	0.5
Children's and social services	10.9	11.3	0.4
Other programs	14.6	19.0	4.4
Total Program Expense	82.0	87.6	5.6
Interest on debt	9.1	8.9	(0.2)
Total Expense	91.2	96.5	5.4
Surplus 1	0.4	0.6	0.2
1 A reserve of $750 million included in the Budget plan is not shown in the above results, as it was not needed during the year. Note: Budget numbers and related variances may not add due to rounding.

Financial Management

Good financial management starts with a sound budget that sets out a realistic fiscal plan. The 2007 Budget set out the fiscal plan for 200708. In April 2007, the Province released Ontario’s first Pre-Election Report on Ontario’s Finances, in line with requirements of FTAA. The Auditor General reviewed the fiscal plan as presented in the report, as also required by FTAA, and found it to be reasonable.

Because any plan must be based on projections, Ontario’s Budget in 2007, as in previous years, included a reserve against unforeseen adverse events. As well, its projection for economic growth was more cautious than the average of private-sector forecasts, providing an additional cushion against uncertainty. The Budget each year also sets out economic, financial market and other risks to the fiscal plan and shows their potential impact.

Government’s ongoing financial management addresses risks, both positive and negative, as the fiscal year unfolds. In 2007, Ontario’s economy weathered major unanticipated changes, including a weaker U.S. economic outlook, record oil prices and a stronger Canadian dollar.

The provincial economy proved to be resilient enough that by the fall of 2007, the Ministry of Finance projected Ontario’s real gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 1.9 per cent in 2007, ahead of the 1.6 per cent projected in the 2007 Budget. Growth in real GDP is now estimated at 2.2 per cent for the 2007 calendar year, contributing to higher-than-expected revenue from taxes and other sources in 200708. However, economic growth for the first quarter of 2008 was below expectations.

Because of continuing economic uncertainty, the Province decided in 200708 to invest a portion of the higher-than-forecast revenue in measures to improve Ontario’s competitiveness. The Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review released in December 2007 outlined several major initiatives, including new investments and tax relief, to help create and keep good jobs in Ontario. The government announced more than $600 million in tax cuts for 200708, including:

• eliminating capital tax for manufacturing and resource activities and cutting capital tax rates by 21 per cent effective to January 1, 2007
• increasing the small business deduction threshold to $500,000 from $400,000, effective January 1, 2007
• expanding the Land Transfer Tax rebate for first-time homebuyers to include resale homes, as announced in the 2007 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review.

These measures were based on the government’s five-point plan for Ontario’s economy. Investing in skills and knowledge, investing in infrastructure, lowering business costs, strengthening the environment for innovation and forming key partnerships are all elements of the plan.

The government made further investments in priority areas in the final quarter of the fiscal year. These are described in more detail in “Investments” below. A strengthened accountability framework introduced during the year helped to ensure that all proposed investments were subject to the same rigorous analysis and criteria as spending plans outlined in the Budget. New measures require recipients to report back on the use of the payments they received, and the framework includes provisions for independent audit, verification and the right to recover funds.

Support for infrastructure investment was enhanced with the passage of the new Investing in Ontario Act, 2008. The act permits the government to use part of any unanticipated year-end surpluses to address priority public needs through transfers to eligible recipients as defined in the act. Before the end of any fiscal year, the government can use its ability under the act to decide whether it would apply all of an unexpected surplus to reducing the accumulated deficit or whether a portion would go to eligible recipients. If the latter, it would then decide the basis for division of the funds, the potential recipients and the intended use. In line with the regulation for 200708, $1.1 billion was allocated under the act to municipalities for infrastructure needs.

After investing in these measures, the government recorded a surplus of $600 million, which was directed to reducing the Province’s accumulated deficit.

Revenue

At $97.1 billion, total revenue for 200708 was $5.6 billion higher than forecast in the 2007 Budget, an increase of roughly six per cent from plan.

Ontario’s economic growth for 2007, as measured by the increase in real GDP, is an estimated 2.2 per cent as opposed to the 1.6 per cent increase on which the 2007 Budget projection for revenue was based. Higher-than-expected economic growth was reflected in higher personal incomes, housing resales and retail sales, all of which had a positive impact on provincial revenue.

Corporations Tax revenue was $2.4 billion or roughly 22 per cent above plan, due mainly to robust final tax remittance payments from the financial sector in December 2007 and higher assessment payments for earlier years. Partially offsetting these gains was the impact of tax measures announced since the 2007 Budget. Corporations Tax is typically the most volatile of all major revenue sources. In 200607, for example, the average difference between forecast and actual revenue from this source was 24 per cent across other Canadian jurisdictions on an absolute basis, with some provinces experiencing growth below expectations.



Personal Income Tax revenue was $1.3 billion above forecast, mainly due to a higher 2006 revenue base and because employment and wages grew more strongly in 2007 than expected. The amount also includes a one-time increase of $424 million in 200708 relating to variances from past Public Accounts, and a $120 million payment from the federal government to correct past years’ tax entitlements.

Stronger growth in employment and wages also boosted revenue from the Employer Health Tax, which was $55 million above plan, and increased Ontario Health Premium revenue by $75 million.

Land Transfer Tax revenue was $176 million above forecast, reflecting a record-breaking Ontario housing resale market in 2007. Higher consumer spending in general helped to increase Retail Sales Tax revenue by $294 million above plan. Tobacco Tax revenue was $90 million below forecast, reflecting a combination of healthier lifestyles and contraband activity in the cigarette market. Enforcement measures to combat illegal activity continue.

Revenues from all other taxes were $35 million below forecast, due largely to lower revenues from Electricity Payments-in-Lieu of Taxes, Gasoline Tax and Fuel Tax. These decreases were partially offset by other tax revenue increases, particularly a rise in Mining Profits Tax revenue as a result of a sharp increase in metal prices.

Other major revenue sources for the Province include transfer payments from the federal government, income from government business enterprises and a range of other non-tax items.

Federal transfers were $491 million higher in total than planned, owing largely to revised estimates of Ontario’s Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer entitlements and to new transfers announced after the 2007 Ontario Budget was finalized.

Net income in government business enterprises was $451 million above plan. The net income of Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) as consolidated in the Province’s Statement of Operations was higher than planned, owing largely to a change in the accounting standards of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), affecting the valuation of Ontario Nuclear Funds Agreement (ONFA) investments. This change is explained in more detail in Note 10 to the Province’s consolidated financial statements. Both the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and Liquor Control Board of Ontario recorded higher net income than projected. These gains were partially offset by lower-than-expected net income at Hydro One Inc., largely as a result of an Ontario Energy Board decision in August 2007 on the allowed rate of return on its transmission business.

Other non-tax revenue was $564 million above forecast, due largely to higher-than-forecast recoveries from transfer payment recipients of unspent amounts from previous years, consolidated sales and rentals, power sales, and other fees and licences.

Investments

The Province invested much of the unexpected additional revenue back into infrastructure to help Ontario’s industries and communities.

Infrastructure investments

Ontario’s ability to compete in the global economy and offer a high quality of life depends on reliable, modern public infrastructure. Such major asset systems as highways and public transit are critical to moving people and goods faster. Safe and affordable water and other services are important for families and businesses. That is why investing in infrastructure is part of Ontario’s five-point economic plan.

Infrastructure investment, including both investment in the government’s own assets and funds provided as transfer payments to municipalities, universities and other entities, was $4.0 billion higher than in the 2007 Budget plan.

Table 3
Infrastructure Expenditures, 2007–08
($ Billions)

	Investment in Capital Assets 1	Transfers and Other 2	2007–08 Actual Total	2007–08 Budget
Transportation and transit 3	2.2	1.9	4.0	2.7
Health	0.7	0.3	0.9	0.9
Education, postsecondary and training	0.2	1.6	1.8	1.3
Municipal and other 4	0.5	2.6	3.1	1.1
Totals	3.5	6.4	9.9	5.9
1 The Province's capital investment in its own infrastructure and that of hospitals and colleges.
2 These totals consist of transfers for capital purposes to municipalities and universities; expenditures for servicing capital-related debt of schools; expenditures for the repair and rehabilitation of schools; and other infrastructure expenditures. Transfers for capital-related purposes and other infrastructure expenditures are recorded as expenses in the Province's Consolidated Statement of Operations.
3 Includes investments in provincial and municipal transportation infrastructure, such as highways, roads, bridges and transit.
4 Includes water, wastewater and other environmental infrastructure; other municipal and local infrastructure; justice sector infrastructure; and other assets.
Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Additional infrastructure and other investments were announced in the mid-year Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, as well as in the 2008 Budget shortly before the end of the 200708 fiscal year. These included $450 million in funding for the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative and an additional $100 million for municipalities to improve Ontario’s stock of social housing. Investments in transportation, including municipal transit, roads and bridges, increased by $1.3 billion from plan.

Under the new Investing in Ontario Act, 2008 and related regulation, the Province is providing an additional $1.1 billion to municipalities for capital purposes. These funds are being distributed to all municipalities in Ontario to help address priority infrastructure needs.

In total, the Province provided more than $3.5 billion in transfers for capital purposes to municipalities in 200708, roughly double the amount provided in 200607.

During the year, the Province invested a total of $3.5 billion in its own infrastructure and that of hospitals and colleges. These investments went to strengthening the provincial highway system, updating and improving hospitals, and providing better places to learn.

Other investments to support growth

Investment in the postsecondary education and training sector increased by $627 million in 200708. This increase is related mainly to investments in Ontario’s colleges and universities, including energy-efficiency improvements and campus renewal projects at postsecondary institutions, and strategic capital investments at colleges and universities.

Other steps taken to strengthen Ontario’s industries in 200708 included:


• An increase of $190 million against plan for the agriculture sector, mainly for improved risk management and measures to make Ontario farmers more competitive.
• An increase of $92 million for culture and tourism, with investments in major attractions, festivals and marketing initiatives to attract new domestic and international visitors, as well as increased funding for libraries.
• An additional $122 million for economic and business development, mainly targeted to research and Ontario’s manufacturing sector, and to help all Ontario firms reduce costs and improve competitiveness.
• An additional $63 million for strategic investments in research, innovation and commercialization initiatives, including the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, digital media initiatives, the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Windsor Institute for Diagnostic Imaging.

The government made several other funding decisions during 200708, including additional expenditures to ensure brighter futures for Ontario’s children and help First Nations in the province fund their public services.

• A $350 million increase in 200708 for children’s and social services included additional child care funding, as well as increases in funding for services for people with developmental disabilities and the Ontario Disability Support Program.
• In 200708, expense for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs increased by $206 million. Most of this was the result of implementing the new Ontario First Nations Gaming Revenue Sharing Financial Agreement during the year, and included amounts for 200708 and previous years covered by the agreement. The agreement provides an ongoing revenue source for Ontario First Nations to support health, education, community, economic and cultural development.
• Expense for the justice sector increased by $341 million in 200708, due mainly to a one-time provision for the backlog of cases in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, capital investments, and various justice initiatives and community safety enhancements.

Interest on debt was $209 million lower than the 2007 Budget plan, reflecting the impact of lower interest rates than forecast and the cost-effective management of the borrowing program. These savings are net of an adjustment of $107 million for impairment in the value of asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) held by the Province through the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). As a result of the freeze in the ABCP market, the OFA’s Board of Directors reviewed and made recommendations to strengthen the agency’s policies for investment of Provincial funds. The OFA has fully implemented these recommendations. Further details on the ABCP valuation adjustment are provided in Note 8 to the financial statements.

Impacts on Financial Position

Like a family buying a house or a company building a new plant, the Province borrows funds when it invests in major infrastructure assets. These investments create valuable, long-term assets that keep Ontario’s economy strong and provide other benefits in future. Similar gains result when the Province borrows and then lends the money to municipalities and other public bodies to help them fund their own infrastructure. In 200708, borrowings to invest in the assets of government, municipalities, hospitals, school boards and colleges increased debt by $4.9 billion.

Financial assets such as loans to municipalities and non-financial assets like infrastructure all provide value for the Province over the long term. For that reason, these assets are an important part of the Province’s financial position and provide an offset against the Province’s total liabilities, including debt. The net difference gives a measure of financial health called the accumulated deficit. In 200708, for the third consecutive year, the Province’s assets increased by more than its debt and other liabilities, so that the accumulated deficit went down. The Province’s investment in its own infrastructure and that of hospitals and colleges increased by $3.5 billion for the year, while loans to municipalities, school boards and other public bodies rose by $1.7 billion. Combined with other changes to assets, and taking into account the smaller increase in total liabilities, the net result was a decrease of $1.2 billion in the accumulated deficit from the previous year.

The Province’s operating surplus for the year accounted for $600 million of the decrease. The rest was due to a change in CICA accounting standards on financial instruments that affected valuation of the ONFA funds. These funds, which are intended to cover the long-term future costs of nuclear fuel disposal and facility decommissioning, were valued at $9.3 billion on March 31, 2008.

The change in CICA standards, which was effective in 2007, had an impact on OPG’s accounting for the ONFA funds. Because the Province consolidates OPG, this also affected the Province’s consolidated financial statements, which now reflect the fair market value of the ONFA funds. As a result, the Province adjusted the value of the ONFA assets in its statement of financial position starting this year. The value increased as of April 1, 2007, by $1.5 billion to reflect unrealized increases in the fair market value at that point in time. As at March 31, 2008, the value of these assets was reduced by $935 million to reflect the unrealized decrease in fair market value at the end of the fiscal year.

The net result of these accounting changes was a decrease of $559 million in the accumulated deficit. This ONFA accounting adjustment, together with the operating surplus of $600 million, reduced the accumulated deficit of the Province by $1.2 billion in total.

RESULTS FROM OUR INVESTMENTS

The investments of the past five years are paying off in better lives and brighter futures for people in Ontario, especially in the priority areas of jobs and prosperity, success for students, and better health. Better financial management has allowed these achievements to take place while also ensuring the Province a stronger fiscal position. This section looks at results in all these areas from 200203 to 200708 where comparisons are possible, and otherwise from the earliest available baseline information.

Jobs and Prosperity

Creating and keeping good jobs depends on a high-skilled and adaptable workforce; strategic investments in economic opportunities, good roads, highways and public transit; and reliable and affordable energy. Combined with livable communities and a business-friendly climate, these factors boost the potential for economic growth.

• Increased investment in colleges, universities and training is helping to ensure that the next generation of Ontario workers will be better educated than ever before, and ready to meet the challenges of a more demanding marketplace.
  • Full-time enrolment in postsecondary education has increased by close to 100,000 over the past five years, from 394,000 to 480,000. This puts enrolment well on the way to the target of 488,000 by 200809.
  • More people are getting skills and apprenticeship training. In 200708, new apprenticeship registrations achieved the target of 26,000, up from 19,000 in 200405.
• To support a more competitive business environment, the government accelerated cuts to the capital tax for all corporations and increased tax support for film and television productions, small businesses and innovation. During 200708, the Province began cutting Business Education Tax rates as announced in the 2007 Budget, and in the 2008 Budget announced an acceleration for northern businesses. In May 2007, it set up a secretariat to look at ways of modernizing the provincial regulatory regime to reduce compliance costs for businesses while protecting the public interest.
• To help meet specific labour-market needs more quickly, the government is helping newcomers to Ontario succeed in finding jobs in their field. For the 200708 academic year, 219 international medical graduates were offered new training and assessment positions, exceeding the target of 200. The first Fairness Commissioner, created under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, took office in April 2007. The act, the first of its kind in Canada, requires regulated professions in Ontario to adopt registration practices that are fair, transparent and timely.
• Government action is ensuring that people and businesses have access to reliable, clean, affordable energy. Since October 2003, close to 3,400 megawatts (MW) of new electricity supply has come on line, including more than 500 MW from renewable sources. Roughly 2,100 MW of renewable supply projects were under way by the end of the 200708 fiscal year, well on the way to meeting a target of 2,700 MW of installed renewable capacity by 2010. Ontario’s electricity consumers achieved a target to reduce peak electricity demand by 1,350 MW, or five per cent of projected demand, by the end of 2007.
• Investments in public transit, funded by the MoveOntario 2020 program and an ongoing allocation of two cents a litre of gasoline tax to municipalities, are paying off with higher ridership. From a starting point of 610 million public transit trips in large urban centres in 200304, the target of 697 million by 200708 was exceeded, with 703 million trips taken. For GO Transit, the provincially owned commuter system, the total of 51.6 million trips in 200708 surpassed the target of 49.7 million for the year and was substantially up from the baseline of 42.5 million five years earlier.
• A record $1.4 billion has been spent in the last four years to improve highway safety in the north. Investing in Ontario’s northern highways means travellers have expanded routes and safer roads.
• The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area, the first plan developed under the Places to Grow Act, 2005, won several awards in 2007. As well as gaining provincial and national recognition, it was the first-ever non-American recipient of a major award presented by the American Planning Association, which described it as “both visionary and pragmatic.”

Success for Students

Additional funding and significant increases in spending per pupil have allowed Ontario to reduce class sizes, improve test results and ensure more young people graduate from high school.

• In 200708, 88 per cent of all primary students were in classes of 20 or fewer, up from just 31 per cent in 200304. Virtually all were in classes of 23 or fewer, up from 64 per cent in 200304.
• Students in Grades 3 and 6 are doing better at reading, writing and math. The most recent results, for 200607, show that 65 per cent of Grade 3 students are at or above the provincial standard overall, up from 54 per cent in 200203. Among Grade 6 students, 61 per cent are at or above the provincial standard, up from 54 per cent in 200203 and moving towards the target of 75 per cent by 200809.
• The high school graduation rate increased to 75 per cent in 200607 from 68 per cent in 200304, making progress towards a target of 85 per cent by 201011.

Better Health

As a result of increased funding and restructuring efforts, people in Ontario are today waiting much less time for key services, enjoying better access to health care professionals, and benefiting from a more effective system with greater local accountability.

• Wait times are down for targeted health procedures, in many cases by a significant amount. Targeted procedures for lower wait times include cataract surgeries, angiography, angioplasty, knee and hip replacements, CT and MRI scans, and cancer surgeries. Improvements to these procedures have been tracked since 200304. More recently, wait times for pediatric surgeries have been targeted and successfully reduced as well. Detailed information on wait times by region and medical procedure is regularly updated at www.ontariowaittimes.com.
• More than 180,000 patients have chosen to receive their primary health care through the Province’s newly formed family health teams, in which family doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and other health professionals work in partnership. As well as improving access, these teams increase the effectiveness of primary health care.
• The government is increasing the number of doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners available to help patients.
  • In September 2005, the government began a 23 per cent increase in first-year medical school enrolment. In 200708, it funded 829 first-year undergraduate medical positions across the province’s six medical schools. For the 200708 academic year, Ontario offered 760 residency positions, an increase of 58 new specialty training positions over those offered in 2006.
  • To support nurse practitioners, who are registered nurses with advanced university education, the government funded 150 education seats in 200708, double the number three years earlier.
  • A new Nursing Graduate Guarantee, an enhancement of an earlier program, helps to ensure that new nursing graduates have the opportunity to work full-time for up to 7.5 months. Since 2004, the government has funded the creation of more than 8,000 new nursing positions. In 200708, funds were also provided to create 1,200 new registered nursing positions in long-term care homes.
• Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), created in 2006, continued to develop their role of overseeing and coordinating health care resources at the local level. All of them met the reporting and financial obligations of their accountability agreements in 200708.
• Efforts to encourage people in Ontario to enjoy healthier lifestyles a proven factor in the prevention and management of disease are realizing real results. Registrations in organized sports in Ontario rose from 2.0 million in 200304 to 2.41 million in 200708, just above the 2.4 million target.

Improved Management

The Province has achieved these results while meeting another of its commitments: strengthening its financial management. Its efforts have focused on creating a sustainable and flexible fiscal plan, ensuring greater accountability for the use of public resources, and making government more efficient.

A sustainable plan

The government committed in 2003 to returning Ontario’s fiscal plans to a sustainable path. The prudent approach of the past five years has achieved that goal, as the Province has recorded surpluses for the past three years, eliminating the deficit ahead of schedule.



A fiscal plan is sustainable when revenues can accommodate the expected growth in expenses over time. Many expenses for government arise from important public needs that must be met on an ongoing basis, such as health care, social programs and education. The government’s actions have strengthened financial management by relying on only those revenues known to be sustainable to fund major ongoing public needs.

The result of this commitment to a more sustainable fiscal plan has been a decline in the ratio of accumulated deficit to Ontario GDP. This is an important measure of Ontario’s fiscal and economic health, as it shows the impact of both greater economic activity and the government’s fiscal position. The ratio has moved downward over the past several years, as Chart 4 shows.

Another useful measure of the sustainability of a fiscal plan is the ratio of interest expense to government revenue. It shows how much of the government’s revenues must be allocated each year to servicing its debt. Chart 5 shows how Ontario’s interest expense as a share of total revenue has changed over the past 10 years.

Greater fiscal flexibility

The results expected in the fiscal plan are based on the best information available at the time the Budget is prepared. However, plans are always subject to economic and program risks. The final surplus or deficit as reported in the Public Accounts depends on information on tax revenue and other items that in some cases is not available until months after the end of the fiscal year. These uncertainties, which all governments face, can result in unanticipated surpluses or deficits.

The recent passage of the Investing in Ontario Act, 2008 and related regulation allows the government to use unanticipated year-end surpluses to address priority public needs as well as to reduce the accumulated financial deficit. Previously, the government had no choice but to use the entire amount of any unanticipated surplus for accumulated deficit reduction. With this change, the government gains greater flexibility to make the best use possible of unexpected surpluses. In 200708, for example, it allocated $1.1 billion to Ontario municipalities for infrastructure needs.

Stronger accountability

In April 2007, the government released the first-ever Pre-Election Report on Ontario’s Finances. Designed to inform Ontarians and political parties about the Province’s fiscal outlook before the provincial election, it was the first of its kind in Canada and among the first in the world. In his review of the report, the Province’s Auditor General stated that “we found the government’s pre-election report to be an informative document that provided extensive information about Ontario’s expected fiscal situation over the next three years (2007/08 to 2009/10).” The Pre-Election Report is available at www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publications/2007/pre-electionreport/PEReport.html.

The government provided more than $70 billion in transfer payments in 200708 to individuals and organizations in Ontario. In August 2007, the government introduced a new transfer payment accountability directive to provide stronger assurance that these public funds are being spent by organizations for their intended purposes. This directive applies to transfers made throughout the year.

Accountability was also strengthened through the recent expansion of the mandate of the Auditor General to allow value-for-money audits of organizations receiving transfer payments, such as hospitals, school boards and universities.

Setting goals and reporting on results are important elements of accountability. The government is using technology to make it easier to view the plans and results of its ministries, through a single web portal at http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/about/rbplanning.

More efficient government

Starting in 2004, as part of its continuing commitment to increased efficiency, the government found ways of reducing its costs to provide savings of more than $800 million a year by 2007. Initiatives focused on such activities as streamlining purchasing, improving the use of technology, and absorbing cost increases through program reviews. These savings have been reinvested in priority sectors such as education and health care.

As a result of these and other factors, Ontario is now the second lowest among provinces in terms of per-capita spending on administration.

In addition, through its innovative OntarioBuys program, the government is helping hospitals, universities, colleges and other institutions save money by streamlining their purchasing practices.

2008 BUDGET INTERIM ESTIMATES

The Province provided interim estimates of results for 200708 in the 2008 Budget, tabled in March of this year. The final surplus of $0.6 billion reported for the year is unchanged from the interim estimate. Certain revenue and expense items changed, however.

When the 2008 Budget was finalized, the estimate of total revenue was $5.1 billion higher than in the 2007 Budget plan. The final results show a further increase of $0.5 billion, or 0.6 per cent, from plan, reflecting new information not available at the time of the 2008 Budget. The major sources of the change were a net increase of $110 million in tax revenues, higher net income from OPG relating to the Ontario Nuclear Funds Agreement discussed in Note 10 to the statements, and a gain of $382 million from interim estimates of other non-tax revenue. These increases were partially offset by lower federal transfers than reported at interim, due mainly to the timing of recording of a portion of a federal payment related to corporate tax harmonization.

Table 4
Comparison of 2007–08 Interim and Actual Results
($ Billions)

	2007–08 Interim	2007–08 Actual	Change
Revenue
Taxation	68.3	68.4	0.1
Government of Canada	16.9	16.6	(0.3)
Income from government business enterprises	4.1	4.4	0.3
Other	7.3	7.7	0.4
Total Revenue	96.6	97.1	0.5
Expense
Programs	87.0	87.6	0.6
Interest on debt	9.0	8.9	(0.1)
Total Expense	96.0	96.5	0.5
Annual Surplus 1	0.6	0.6	–
1 A reserve of $750 million included in the Budget plan is not shown in the above results, as it was not needed during the year.
Note: Interim numbers and related variances may not add due to rounding.

Total expense was also higher in final results than the interim estimate. The major source of the increase was the $1.1 billion in infrastructure investment funding provided to municipalities under the Investing in Ontario Act, 2008, the amount of which was determined as the Public Accounts were finalized. This increase was partially offset by decreases in program spending and interest on debt between interim and final. The net result was an increase of $0.5 billion in total expense.



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