Perspectives, Winter 2004: Excerpts from recent speeches by members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives
The Right Honourable Paul Martin, P.C., M.P.Prime Minister of Canada and Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Dr. Grant Hill, M.P.Leader of the Opposition and Interim Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Mr. Jack LaytonLeader of The New Democratic Party of Canada Mr. Gilles Duceppe, M.P.Leader of the Bloc Québécois Party Gentlemen: On behalf of the members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, I am writing to express our strong support for the democratic reform proposals tabled this week by the government. We would encourage parliamentarians of all parties to cooperate in enhancing respect for Parliament and strengthening Canadian democracy by putting these measures in place and making them work. Since its inception, the Council has been passionately committed to ensuring that our parliamentary institutions are responsive to the needs of Canadians. Indeed, parliamentary reform was the subject of the first major study undertaken by the Council, in 1978. […]
The following are comments by Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), after today’s Speech from the Throne: “The Canadian Council of Chief Executives supports many of the goals outlined in the Speech from the Throne, including changing the way things work in Ottawa, restoring trust and accountability, and cooperating more effectively with provincial governments in improving the quality of public health care, increasing access to lifelong learning, and shaping a new deal for cities.” “We agree that to build a fairer society, we need a stronger economy. What the Speech fails to acknowledge is that economic growth must be driven primarily by a healthy and innovative private sector, not by government programs. Business investment and job creation depend on competitive taxation and smart regulation.” “We are worried that this lengthy agenda will drive further rapid and unsustainable growth in federal spending. We […]
In regulating Canada’s securities markets, provincial governments have defended the indefensible for too long. The current system of 13 regulators hurts Canadian companies as they try to raise money for growth. It reduces the choices open to investors. It leads to inconsistent enforcement of the rules, and undermines Canada’s ability to compete globally. We need a single regulator now. Until now, provincial governments and regulators have limited themselves to exploring two less desirable approaches: harmonization of securities laws and a so-called passport system that would give companies the simplicity of dealing with one regulator while continuing to pay for 13. Even if implemented by all jurisdictions, a passport system would maintain excessive costs for market participants and perpetuate inconsistent interpretation and enforcement. What is more, neither harmonized rules nor a passport system can handle rapid change. At present, it takes as long as four years to pass even non-controversial rule […]
Canada’s senior business community should not expect preferential treatment from Prime Minister Paul Martin, says Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). Interviewed on Report on Business Television after the CCCE’s New Year Members’ Meeting in Toronto, Mr. d’Aquino said it would be folly for business leaders to assume that Mr. Martin, a former CEO of Canada Steamship Lines, will cater to the interests of the business community. “We should be under no illusions that somehow life is going to be easy for us or that we’re just going to get whatever we want,” Mr. d’Aquino told ROB-TV host Amanda Lang. “Now the business of Paul Martin is politics, not business, and therefore we should not be running around assuming that we have an enormously business-friendly Prime Minister. We’re still going to have to make our case, have to argue our briefs, as well and perhaps even harder than […]
National Priorities and Political Realities: The Challenge For Canadian Business Leaders in 2004
For the first time in its 27-year history, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) has published a comprehensive policy platform that outlines its positions on a wide range of public policy issues, including North American integration, corporate and public governance, fiscal and tax policy, and national defence. The release of the 41-page document coincides with the launch of the CCCE’s redesigned website at www.ceocouncil.ca. Built around the seven major themes of the policy platform, the new site offers richer content, more powerful search capabilities and dramatically improved look and feel. As well as accessing recent and archived CCCE communiqués, speeches and other publications, visitors can explore the site by policy category and topic, search by keyword or download the complete policy platform document in PDF format. “At a time of major political transitions federally and provincially, we are making it faster and easier than ever for Canadians to find out where […]
The following are comments by Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), after this morning’s meeting between Prime Minister Paul Martin and United States President George W. Bush: On rebuilding Iraq: “What is most important is to restore essential services, get the country’s economy moving again and improve the quality of life of Iraqi citizens as quickly as possible. As a general rule, more competition for contracts means that the job will get done better and faster.” “Canadian companies have a great deal of expertise to offer in areas such as energy, transportation, water treatment and the design and construction of major infrastructure projects, and I think it is great that Canadians will have more opportunities to participate in the important work that needs to be done in Iraq.” On Canada-U.S. relations: “The Council took close to 100 Canadian CEOs to Washington last […]
The leaders of 34 democratically-elected governments at the Special Summit of the Americas next week in Mexico must renew their commitment and agree on concrete, short-term actions to achieve real economic, political and social progress in the hemisphere, says the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). “The Canadian idea of an extraordinary summit of leaders from the Western Hemisphere is to be commended,” said Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the CCCE. “It represents an opportunity for leaders to agree on a common vision and to discuss what more needs to be done to address the challenges in the region.” Themes for discussion at this special summit are: economic growth and poverty reduction, the promotion of good governance and elimination of corruption, and social development. Mr. d’Aquino urged summit leaders to support several concrete proposals in addition to reaffirming and adhering to the agenda established at the Summit in […]
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) strongly supports today’s call for a single Canadian securities regulator by the Wise Persons’ Committee to Review the Structure of Securities Regulation in Canada (WPC). A single regulator would be more effective in protecting investors and encouraging the growth of Canadian companies from coast to coast, said the CCCE, which is composed of the chief executives of 150 major Canadian enterprises. “The current regulatory system is too fragmented, too costly and too slow to manage change,” said CCCE Executive Vice President David Stewart-Patterson. “In one way or another, Canada needs to move quickly toward a single securities regulator. If provincial governments do not like the model recommended by the Wise Persons’ Committee, the onus is on them to come up with a better one.” The CCCE agreed that a collaborative federal-provincial approach to creating and running a single regulator is by far preferable […]
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