Paul Martin Urged to Take the Lead in Forging a New Vision for North American Cooperation

November 5, 2003

Making the case that North American economic integration is irreversible and that continental security is indivisible, the President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) has urged Paul Martin to take the lead in forging a new vision for North America.

Addressing the Business Forecast 2003/2004 Conference at York University’s Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Thomas d’Aquino outlined a “winning strategy” for Canada in a rapidly transforming world.

“Canadians must take the lead as we did two decades ago, when we stood at yet another critical crossroad. At that time, the crisis was not global terrorism. It was trade protectionism. Canada opted for a bold new vision, the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. On this choice, history has offered us decisive proof. Canada and the United States made the right decision. We must make the right decision again.”

“Canada’s next prime minister has already signalled his intention to repair the all important Canada-United States relationship, and his strong political mandate and solid grasp of market imperatives place him in an excellent position to articulate a new architecture for the continent,” said Mr. d’Aquino.

“Advancing trilateral cooperation and building the idea of a North American community must rest on one overriding principle,” Mr. d’Aquino said: “uncompromising respect for the political independence and distinctiveness of Canada, Mexico and the United States.”

In January 2003, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives launched a comprehensive private sector initiative aimed at building support in all three countries for a strategy based on:

• reinventing borders;
• maximizing economic efficiencies;
• building on resource security;
• sharing in continental and global security; and
• developing 21st century institutions to manage the continental relationship.

Entitled the North American Security and Prosperity Initiative, the Council’s work encompasses research and consultations in Canada, United States and Mexico across all five principal elements of the strategy.

While all of the CCCE’s 150 member CEOs are involved in this ambitious two-year initiative, it is being driven by a core group of chief executives who comprise the CEO Action Group on North American Security and Prosperity.

Mr. d’Aquino pointed with satisfaction to the growing consensus emerging from the vigorous and creative debate in government, business and academic circles on Canada’s future in North America. “Polling reveals that Canadians have never been more confident that they have what it takes to succeed and prosper in North America despite the overwhelming military and economic strength of the United States,” he said.

“When Mr. Martin and his new government take office, they will have the benefit of two positive factors that will help guide their decisions on how to advantageously position Canada as a continental player: a great number of well thought-out ideas and a confident electorate ready to embrace a bold, made-in-Canada vision for our future in North America,” he added.

“A winning Canadian strategy will require direction and coordination from the top,” Mr. d’Aquino concluded. In this regard, he strongly endorsed Mr. Martin’s idea that the Prime Minister should chair a cabinet committee on Canada-United States relations.

He urged that Mr. Martin champion the idea of a yearly summit of the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States in order to give common economic, social and security issues the priority they deserve in a continental, hemispheric and global context.

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives is composed of the chief executives of 150 leading Canadian companies. Council members collectively administer $2.1 trillion in assets, have a yearly turnover of close to $500 billion and are responsible for the vast majority of Canada’s exports, investment, training, and research and development. The CCCE’s mandate focuses on Canadian, North American and global issues.

The members of the Executive Committee are: Chairman Richard L. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of Suncor Energy Inc.; Council President and Chief Executive Thomas d’Aquino; Honorary Chairman A. Charles Baillie; and Vice-Chairmen Derek H. Burney, Dominic D’Alessandro, David L. Emerson, Gwyn Morgan, Gordon Nixon and Paul M. Tellier, the chief executives respectively of CAE, Manulife Financial, Canfor Corporation, EnCana Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada and Bombardier Inc.