Report on Plans and Priorities 2014-2015

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of  Natural Resources Canada, 2014

Cat No. BT31-2/2014-III-31

ISSN 2292-4639

This report is published separately in both

official languages

Copies are available on request from:

Northern Pipeline Agency

615 Booth Street, Room 412

Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0E9

E-mail:  info@npa-apn.gc.ca

Printed in Canada

2014-15
ESTIMATES

Purpose

Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPP) are individual expenditure plans for each department and agency. These reports provide increased levels of detail over a three-year period on an organization's main priorities by strategic outcome, program and planned/expected results, including links to related resource requirements presented in the Main Estimates. In conjunction with the Main Estimates, Reports on Plans and Priorities serve to inform members of Parliament on planned expenditures of departments and agencies, and support Parliament's consideration of supply bills. The RPPs are typically tabled soon after the Main Estimates by the President of the Treasury Board.

Estimates Documents

The Estimates are comprised of three parts:

Part I - Government Expenditure Plan - provides an overview of the Government's requirements and changes in estimated expenditures from previous fiscal years.

Part II - Main Estimates - supports the appropriation acts with detailed information on the estimated spending and authorities being sought by each federal organization requesting appropriations.

In accordance with Standing Orders of the House of Commons, Parts I and II must be tabled on or before March 1.

Part III - Departmental Expenditure Plans - consists of two components:

• Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP)
• Departmental Performance Report (DPR)

DPRs are individual department and agency accounts of results achieved against planned performance expectations as set out in respective RPPs.

The DPRs for the most recently completed fiscal year are tabled in the fall by the President of the Treasury Board.

Supplementary Estimates support Appropriation Acts presented later in the fiscal year. Supplementary Estimates present information on spending requirements that were either not sufficiently developed in time for inclusion in the Main Estimates or have subsequently been refined to account for developments in particular programs and services. Supplementary Estimates also provide information on changes to expenditure forecasts of major statutory items as well as on such items as: transfers of funds between votes; debt deletion; loan guarantees; and new or increased grants.

For more information on the Estimates, please consult the Treasury Board Secretariat website.^[i]

Links to the Estimates

As shown above, RPPs make up part of the Part III of the Estimates documents. Whereas Part II emphasizes the financial aspect of the Estimates, Part III focuses on financial and non-financial performance information, both from a planning and priorities standpoint (RPP), and an achievements and results perspective (DPR).

The Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS) establishes a structure for display of financial information in the Estimates and reporting to Parliament via RPPs and DPRs. When displaying planned spending, RPPs rely on the Estimates as a basic source of financial information.

Main Estimates expenditure figures are based on the Annual Reference Level Update which is prepared in the fall. In comparison, planned spending found in RPPs includes the Estimates as well as any other amounts that have been approved through a Treasury Board submission up to February 1^st (See Definitions section). This readjusting of the financial figures allows for a more up-to-date portrait of planned spending by program.   

Changes to the presentation of the Report on Plans and Priorities

Several changes have been made to the presentation of the RPP partially to respond to a number of requests – from the House of Commons Standing Committees on Public Accounts (PAC - Report 15^[ii]), in 2010; and on Government and Operations Estimates (OGGO - Report 7^[iii]), in 2012 – to provide more detailed financial and non-financial performance information about programs within RPPs and DPRs, thus improving the ease of their study to support appropriations approval.

• In Section II, financial, human resources and performance information is now presented at the Program and Sub-program levels for more granularity.
• The report’s general format and terminology have been reviewed for clarity and consistency purposes.
• Other efforts aimed at making the report more intuitive and focused on Estimates information were made to strengthen alignment with the Main Estimates.

How to read this document

RPPs are divided into four sections:

Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

This Organizational Expenditure Overview allows the reader to get a general glance at the organization. It provides a description of the organization’s purpose, as well as basic financial and human resources information. This section opens with the new Organizational Profile, which displays general information about the department, including the names of the minister and the deputy head, the ministerial portfolio, the year the department was established, and the main legislative authorities. This subsection is followed by a new subsection entitled Organizational Context, which includes the Raison d’être, the Responsibilities, the Strategic Outcomes and Program Alignment Architecture, the Organizational Priorities and the Risk Analysis. This section ends with the Planned Expenditures, the Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes, the Estimates by Votes and the Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. It should be noted that this section does not display any non-financial performance information related to programs (please see Section II).

Section II: Analysis of Program(s) by Strategic Outcome(s)

This Section provides detailed financial and non-financial performance information for strategic outcomes, Programs and sub-programs. This section allows the reader to learn more about programs by reading their respective description and narrative entitled “Planning Highlights”. This narrative speaks to key services or initiatives which support the plans and priorities presented in Section I; it also describes how performance information supports the department’s strategic outcome or parent program.

Section III: Supplementary Information

This section provides supporting information related to departmental plans and priorities. In  this section, the reader will find future-oriented statement of operations and a link to supplementary information tables regarding transfer payments, as well as information related to the greening government operations, internal audits and evaluations, horizontal initiatives, user fees, major crown and transformational projects, and up-front multi-year funding, where applicable to individual organizations. The reader will also find a link to the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations Publication, produced annually by the Minister of Finance, which provides estimates and projections of the revenue impacts of federal tax measures designed to support the economic and social priorities of the Government of Canada.

Section IV: Organizational Contact Information

In this last section, the reader will have access to organizational contact information.

Definitions

Appropriation

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Budgetary Vs. Non-budgetary  Expenditures

Budgetary expenditures – operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to crown corporations. Non-budgetary expenditures – net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

Expected Result

An outcome that a program is designed to achieve.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. FTEs are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work.  Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

Government of Canada Outcomes

A set of high-level objectives defined for the government as a whole.

Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS)

A common approach and structure to the collection, management and reporting of financial and non-financial performance information.
An MRRS provides detailed information on all departmental programs (e.g.: program costs, program expected results and their associated targets, how they align to the government’s priorities and intended outcomes, etc.) and establishes the same structure for both internal decision making and external accountability.

Planned Spending

For the purpose of the RPP, planned spending refers to those amounts for which a Treasury Board (TB) submission approval has been received by no later than February 1, 2014. This cut-off date differs from the Main Estimates process. Therefore, planned spending may include  amounts incremental to planned expenditure levels presented in the 2014-15 Main Estimates.

Program

A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results, and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture

A structured inventory of a department’s programs, where programs are arranged in a hierarchical manner to depict the logical relationship between each program and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

Spending Areas

Government of Canada categories of expenditures. There are four spending areas^[iv] (social affairs, economic affairs, international affairs and government affairs) each comprised of three to five Government of Canada outcomes.

Strategic Outcome

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the department's mandate, vision, and core functions.

Sunset Program

A time-limited program that does not have on-going funding or policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made as to whether to continue the program. (In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration).

Whole-of-Government Framework

A map of the financial and non-financial contributions of federal organizations receiving appropriations that aligns their Programs to a set of high level outcome areas defined for the government as a whole.

Table of Contents

• Commissioner’s Message
• Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview
  • Organizational Profile
  • Organizational Context
    • Raison d’être
    • Responsibilities
    • Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)
    • Organizational Priorities
    • Risk Analysis
  • Planned Expenditures
  • Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
  • Departmental Spending Trend
  • Estimates by Vote
  • Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)
• Section II: Analysis of Program(s) by Strategic Outcome
  • Strategic Outcome
  • Program 1
  • Internal Services
• Section III: Supplementary Information
  • Future-Oriented Statement of Operations
  • List of Supplementary Information Tables
  • Tax Expenditures and Evaluations
• Section IV: Organizational Contact Information
• Endnotes

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 Commissioner’s Message

It is my pleasure to present the 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities for the Northern Pipeline Agency (the Agency).

The Agency was established by the Northern Pipeline Act (Act) in 1978 to facilitate the planning and construction by Foothills Pipe Lines Limited of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline (AHGP) project and to maximize social and economic benefits from its construction and operation while minimizing any adverse effects. The pipeline was certificated in 1978 under the Act to transport Alaskan and possibly northern Canadian natural gas to southern markets in Canada and the United States as provided for by the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Principles Applicable to a Northern Natural Gas Pipeline. The southern portion of the pipeline was constructed in the early 1980s and presently transports Canadian gas.

In 2008, TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. (TransCanada), which now owns Foothills, was granted a licence by the State of Alaska to pursue the development of Stage Two (the northern section) of the pipeline. In late March 2012, TransCanada announced that they were working together with gas producers to assess liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from south-central Alaska as an alternative to a natural gas pipeline through Canada. On January 15, 2014, Alaskan Governor Parnell announced that the State had signed an agreement with the gas producers and TransCanada outlining a roadmap for the proposed all-Alaska LNG export project studies to proceed. The future of the AHGP continues to rest with its proponents and the commercial marketplace.

In February 2013, TransCanada notified the Agency that no further work is planned on the AHGP for now, and of their intentions to maintain the AHGP assets in Canada. To align with the reduction in the AHGP project activities for the foreseeable future, the Agency will scale down its operations in 2014 while continuing to fulfill Canada’s obligations as set out in the Act. During this time of reduced activities, the Agency will remain ready to respond to any incoming inquiries from federal agencies, other governments and Aboriginal groups.

Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

Organizational Profile

Minister: The Honourable Joe Oliver, M.P., P.C.

Deputy head: Serge P. Dupont

Ministerial portfolio: Natural Resources Canada

Year established: 1978

Main legislative authorities:  Northern Pipeline Act ^[v] (R.S.C., 1977-78, c.20, s.1)

Other: The operating costs of the Agency are fully recovered from the project proponent.

Organizational Context

Raison d’être

The Northern Pipeline Agency (NPA) was established by the Northern Pipeline Act ^[v] in 1978 and, in the context of the 1977 Agreement Between Canada and the United States of America on Principles Applicable to a Northern Natural Gas Pipeline ^[v], has a mandate to carry out federal responsibilities in respect of the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline. The NPA plays a key role in supporting efficient and expeditious regulatory approval while ensuring environmental protection and social and economic benefits for Canada.

Responsibilities 

Under the Act, the Agency can be called upon to undertake a number of activities:

• Facilitate the efficient and expeditious planning and construction of the pipeline, taking into account local and regional interests, the interests of the residents; particularly of Aboriginal people, and recognizing the responsibilities of the Government of Canada and other governments, as appropriate, to ensure that any native claim related to the land on which the pipeline is to be situated is dealt with in a just and equitable manner;
• Facilitate, in relation to the pipeline, consultation and coordination with the governments of the provinces, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories;
• Maximize the social and economic benefits from the construction and operation of the pipeline while at the same time minimizing any adverse effect on the social and environmental conditions of the areas most directly affected by the pipeline; and
• Advance national economic and energy interests and maximize related industrial benefits.

The first stage of the AHGP (the Pre-build) was constructed in the early 1980s for the initial purpose of transporting gas sourced from Western Canada to the U.S. The current flow capacity of the Pre-build is approximately 3.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).

Unfavourable economic conditions from the mid-1980s to the beginning of the last decade led to delays in the completion of the AHGP and a prolonged period of low activity for the NPA. In 2008, TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. (TransCanada) was selected by the State of Alaska under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) to receive up to USD $500M in State assistance to pursue an Alaska gas pipeline. The large-scale project would transport 4.5-5.9 Bcf/d of natural gas in a buried 48-inch, high-pressure pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to markets in the lower 48 states. In 2009, project costs were estimated at USD $32-41B by TransCanada.

Stage Two of the AHGP in Canada would comprise approximately 1,555 km of pipeline from the Yukon-Alaska border near Beaver Creek to the British Columbia-Alberta border near Boundary Lake, as defined by the National Energy Board Act ^[vi] certificates granted under the Act. Additional pipeline construction in Alberta (Stage Three) may also be required.

On March 30, 2012, the Alaska Pipeline Project (APP) team and the other major North Slope gas producers (BP and ConocoPhillips) announced that they had agreed to work together to explore the feasibility of a project alternative that would include a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility near tidewater in south central Alaska. On May 2, 2012, the State of Alaska approved an amendment to TransCanada’s AGIA Project Plan to allow it to undertake work on this project alternative under the AGIA framework.

On January 15, 2014, Alaskan Governor Parnell announced that the State had signed an agreement with the major North Slope gas producers and TransCanada outlining a roadmap for the proposed all-Alaska LNG export project studies to proceed. The State and TransCanada have agreed to terminate the existing licensing and funding agreement they signed in 2008 and have signed a new memorandum of understanding setting out TransCanada’s role in the midstream portion of the LNG project. Despite this milestone, there is continued uncertainty regarding the timeline of a decision of which project – if any – (either LNG or AHGP) would proceed.

The Northern Pipeline Agency remains prepared and engaged in order to protect the work accomplished for the Canadian pipeline option.

Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)

Strategic Outcome: The planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project is efficient and expeditious while ensuring environmental protection and social and economic benefits for Canadians.

 Program: Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Project.

Internal Services

Through a Service Agreement, Natural Resources Canada provides administrative, financial, and information technology assistance to the NPA.

Organizational Priorities

Organizational Priorities

Priority	Type[1]	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program(s)
Effectively administer the Act v and maintain the state of federal readiness to effectively respond to regulatory filings.	Ongoing.	Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project.
Description
Why is this priority? This is a priority because the Agency is mandated to meet the objectives of the Act [v]and the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Principles Applicable to a Northern Natural Gas Pipeline [v](Agreement). These primarily include the coordination and efficient and effective regulation of the project, protection of the environment, and maximization of benefits to Canada. The Agency must ensure that the pipeline is planned in accordance with the objects of the Act and meets modern environmental and regulatory standards, applicable if and when the project proceeds. What are the plans for meeting this priority? Although the project is not being actively pursued by TransCanada at this time, it is important for the Agency to continue to maintain its legislative and regulatory responsibilities. In the event that the proponent obtains commercial support for the project, the Agency must be prepared to deliver a comprehensive and integrated approach to the oversight of the project within Canada.

Risk Analysis

Key Risks

Risk	Risk Response Strategy	Link to Program Alignment Architecture
The Agency needs to be able to manage its existing core responsibilities and be in a position to adjust should the proponent receive a clear positive response from the marketplace, and this project is resumed.	The Agency will continue to maintain a minimum core team to fulfil existing responsibilities until such time as TransCanada resumes the project or that Agency actions or decisions are needed.	Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project.

The challenge before the Agency is to plan for an efficient and effective regulatory review of updated environmental, socio-economic and technical information which takes into account changes since the Northern Pipeline Act ^[v]came into force and the pipeline was certificated in the late 1970s. For example, some of the changes in Yukon include new environmental legislation, devolution of some federal responsibilities, and settlement of most of the Aboriginal claims along the pipeline route. Failure to make timely preparations could jeopardize the Government of Canada’s performance of its responsibilities under the Agreement and the Act^[v].

Planned Expenditures

Budgetary Financial Resources (Planned Spending—dollars)

2014-15 Main Estimates	2014-15 Planned Spending	2015-16 Planned Spending	2016-17 Planned Spending
$750,000	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000

 

Human Resources (Full-time equivalents—FTEs)

2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
4	4	4

 

Budgetary Planning Summary for Strategic Outcome(s) and Program(s) (dollars)

Strategic Outcome(s), Program(s) and Internal Services	2011-12 Expenditures	2012-13 Expenditures	2013-14 Forecast Spending	2014-15 Main Estimates	2014-15 Planned Spending	2015-16 Planned Spending	2016-17 Planned Spending
Strategic Outcome 1: The planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project is efficient and expeditious while ensuring environmental protection and social and economic benefits for Canadians.
Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Project.	$2,107,613	$1,920,142	$1,223,217	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000
Strategic Outcome 1 Subtotal	$2,107,613	$1,920,142	$1,223,217	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000
Internal Services Subtotal	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	$2,107,613	$1,920,142	$1,223,217	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000	$750,000

To align with the reduction in the AHGP project activities for the foreseeable future, the Agency will scale down its operations while continuing to fulfill Canada’s obligations as set out in the Act ^v. During this time of reduced activities, the Agency will remain ready to respond to any incoming inquiries from federal agencies, other governments and Aboriginal groups.

Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes

2014-15 Planned Spending by Whole-of-Government-Framework Spending Area ^[vii] (dollars)

Strategic Outcome	Program	Spending Area	Government of Canada Outcome	2014-15 Planned Spending
The planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Project is efficient and expeditious while ensuring environmental protection and social and economic benefits for Canadians.	Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Project.	Economic Affairs	Strong economic growth	$750,000

 

Total Planned Spending by Spending Area (dollars)

Spending Area	Total Planned Spending
Economic Affairs	$750,000
Social Affairs	-
International Affairs	-
Government Affairs	-

Departmental Spending Trend

Departmental Spending Trend Graph

[text version]

To align with the reduction in the AHGP project activities for the foreseeable future, the Agency will scale down its operations while continuing to fulfill Canada’s obligations as set out in the Act ^[v]. During this time of reduced activities, the Agency will remain ready to respond to any incoming inquiries from federal agencies, other governments and Aboriginal groups.

Estimates by Vote

For information on the NPA’s organizational appropriations, please see the 2014-15 Main Estimates publication.^[viii]

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)

NPA also ensures that its decision-making process includes a consideration of the FSDS goals and targets through the strategic environmental assessment (SEA).  An SEA for policy, plan or program proposals includes an analysis of the impacts of the proposal on the environment, including on the FSDS goals and targets. The results of SEAs are made public when an initiative is announced or approved, demonstrating that environmental factors were integrated into the decision-making process.

Section II: Analysis of Program(s) by Strategic Outcome

Performance Measurement

Performance Indicators	Targets	Date to be Achieved
The Agency effectively plans for and responds to regulatory filings by Foothills and makes certain that the Act [v] is properly administered.	Timely responses with consideration to the overall Project plans and schedules, continuing operations as mandated by the Act [v], and readiness to respond to various levels of project activity.	The dates will be determined by the project proponent based on the commerciality of the project. No dates can be confirmed at this time.
The Agency maintains an adequate level of resources to allow the Agency to sustain its plans and state of readiness in order to respond to project developments and maintain the appropriate level of engagement with other participants that would be involved in the planning and construction of Phase 2 of the pipeline project.	Adequate resources and capacity.	Capacity requirements will be assessed annually and adjusted as required.

Program 1:

Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Project.

Description:

Budgetary Financial Resources (dollars)

2014−15 Main Estimates	2014-15 Planned Spending	2015-16  Planned Spending	2016-17  Planned Spending
750,000	750,000	750,000	750,000

 

Human Resources (FTEs)

2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
4	4	4

 

Performance Measurement

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Date to be Achieved
Oversee and regulate the planning and construction of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Project.	The Agency effectively plans for and responds to regulatory filings by Foothills and makes certain that the    Act [v] is properly administered.	Timely responses with consideration to the overall Project plans and schedules, continuing operations as mandated by the Act [v], and readiness to respond to various levels of project activity.	The dates will be determined by the project proponent based on the commerciality of the project. No dates can be confirmed at this time.
	The Agency maintains an adequate level of resources to allow the Agency to sustain its plans and state of readiness in order to respond to project developments and maintain the appropriate level of engagement with other participants that would be involved in the planning and construction of Phase 2 of the pipeline project.	Adequate resources and capacity.	Capacity requirements will be assessed annually and adjusted as required.

Planning Highlights

The Agency plans to maintain its state of federal readiness in regards to the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline. This will primarily include the administration of obligations under the Act ^[v] and the Agreement ^[v].

Internal Services

Description:

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Budgetary Financial Resources (dollars)

2014−15 Main Estimates	2014-15 Planned Spending	2015-16 Planned Spending	2016-17 Planned Spending
-	-	-	-

 

Human Resources (FTEs)

2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
-	-	-

Planning Highlights

The Agency has a single strategic outcome and a single program. As a smaller and separate federal entity, the Agency purchases services from Natural Resources Canada through a Service Agreement paid as regular program expenditures.

Section III: Supplementary Information

Future-Oriented Statement of Operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations presented in this subsection is intended to serve as a general overview of the NPA’s operations. The forecasted financial information on expenses and revenues are prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management. 

Because the future-oriented statement of operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of this report are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts will differ. 

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net costs of operations to the requested authorities, can be found on the NPA’s website ^[ix].

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations
For the Year Ended March 31 (dollars)

Financial information	Estimated Results 2013−14	Planned Results 2014–15	Change
Total expenses	1,227,654	753,381	(474,273)
Total revenues	0	0	0
Net cost of operations	1,232,754	758,481	(474,273)

To align with the reduction in the AHGP project activities for the foreseeable future, the Agency will scale down its operations in 2014-15 while continuing to fulfill Canada’s obligations as set out in the Act. During this time of reduced activities, the Agency will remain ready to respond to any incoming inquiries from federal agencies, other governments and Aboriginal groups.

List of Supplementary Information Tables

The following supplementary information table listed in the 2014–15 Report on Plans and Priorities can be found on the NPA’s website ^[ix]:

• Disclosure of Transfer Payment Programs under $5 million.

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures annually in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations ^[x] publication. The tax measures presented in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication are the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Section IV: Organizational Contact Information

The Agency has been designated as a department for the purposes of the Financial Administration Act. The Agency currently reports to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, who is responsible for the management and direction of the Agency. The Agency has one senior officer, a Commissioner appointed by the Governor in Council. The Commissioner is currently the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada. The Agency’s organizational structure is defined by the Act. The Commissioner is supported by an Assistant Commissioner.

The Agency’s contact information is as follows:

Northern Pipeline Agency

412 - 615 Booth Street

Ottawa, ON K1A 0E9

(613) 995-1150

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Endnotes