Business Leaders call CPP Reform a Momentous Step Forward

February 14, 1997

The Business Council on National Issues (BCNI) applauds the agreement on reform of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) reached between the federal government and most provincial governments.

“The Business Council has argued consistently that fundamental CPP reforms are needed urgently in order to avoid placing a crippling burden on the shoulders of the next generation of working Canadians,” said BCNI President and Chief Executive Thomas d’Aquino.

Significant challenges still lie ahead as governments attempt to administer the plan more effectively, but the successful conclusion of months of negotiation marks a momentous step forward, Mr. d’Aquino said.

“This agreement does more than just put in place the framework of a sustainable public pension system. It moves Canada into the vanguard of the industrialized world in grappling with the problems created by an aging population.”

The Business Council on National Issues is the senior voice of Canadian business on public policy issues in Canada and internationally. Its membership is composed of the chief executive officers of 150 leading Canadian corporations. These companies represent every major sector of the economy and are responsible for a significant majority of Canada’s private sector investment, exports, training and research and development.