CEO Council Gives Full Marks to Bush-Martin Talks

November 30, 2004

Canada’s pre-eminent business organization, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), congratulated President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin for outlining a sensible, forward-looking agenda for cooperation on bilateral, North American and global issues.

“The two leaders focussed on what matters most to Canadians and Americans — security and prosperity,” said CCCE President and Chief Executive Thomas d’Aquino.

The CCCE strongly endorsed the commitment of both countries to improving co-ordination of intelligence-sharing, cross-border law enforcement and counter-terrorism, while increasing the security of critical infrastructure in areas such as transportation, energy and communications networks.  Of equal importance is the promise to work towards renewing the NORAD agreement and to investigate opportunities for greater cooperation on North American maritime surveillance and maritime defence.  “If our citizens are not secure,” said Mr. d’Aquino, “they never will be free.”

The CCCE saluted the willingness of both the President and the Prime Minister to take concrete steps to enhance economic cooperation.

“The decision to pursue joint approaches to partnerships, consensus standards and smarter regulation is very welcome news,” affirmed Mr. d’Aquino.  “So are steps to reduce unacceptable costs associated with the application of rules of origin.”

“In the area of health and the environment, President Bush and Prime Minister Martin have pledged cooperation where it matters most to our citizens,” said Mr. d’Aquino.  “My Council welcomes efforts to expand technology partnerships that will promote the clean and efficient use of energy resources.  This is an area where Canadian expertise and experience can make a real difference.”

“In outlining an ambitious agenda for joint efforts to promote security and prosperity beyond North America, both leaders have demonstrated that Canada and the United States in fact share a common vision for the world based on common values,” concluded Mr. d’Aquino.

“We are encouraged by the tenor and breadth of the understandings arrived at in Ottawa by the President and the Prime Minister and today we reaffirm our commitment to provide private sector leadership in advancing a closer and more productive relationship between two countries that share a deep friendship and enduring alliance.”

The CCCE is a non-partisan, not-for-profit association composed of 150 chief executives of Canada’s leading enterprises.  Member chief executives and entrepreneurs are committed to making Canada the best country in the world in which to live, work, invest and grow.  Member companies administer close to C$2.5 trillion in assets, have a yearly turnover of more than C$600 billion, and are responsible for the vast majority of Canadian investment, exports and research and development.

The Council was the private sector leader in advancing the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In 2003, the Council launched its North American Security and Prosperity Initiative aimed at developing and promoting a 21st century roadmap for closer North American cooperation.  In April 2004, the Council published“New Frontiers: Building a 21st Century Canada-United States Partnership in North America”, a study that was widely praised in both countries.

Currently, the CCCE is the Canadian partner with the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations in a major study aimed at building a closer North American community.

In addition to Mr. d’Aquino, the members of the CCCE’s Executive Committee are: Chairman Richard L. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of Suncor Energy Inc.; Honorary Chairman A. Charles Baillie; and Vice-Chairmen Dominic D’Alessandro, Paul Desmarais, Jr., Jacques Lamarre, Gwyn Morgan and Gordon Nixon, the chief executives respectively of Manulife Financial, Power Corporation of Canada, SNC-LAVALIN Group Inc., EnCana Corporation and Royal Bank of Canada.