CEO Council Applauds Overhaul of Federal Cabinet and Prime Minister Martin’s Democratic Reforms
The dramatic overhaul of the federal cabinet and reforms to the decision-making process introduced by new Prime Minister Paul Martin will strengthen Canada’s ability to deal with critical issues at home and abroad, says the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). “The measures announced by Prime Minister Martin today mark the most significant change in decades in the way decisions are made in Ottawa. Taken as a whole, they should have a profound effect in making Parliament work better, restoring public trust, leading to good public policy decisions and generating better value for the taxes Canadians pay,” said CCCE President and Chief Executive Thomas d’Aquino. The CCCE, composed of the chief executive officers of 150 leading Canadian enterprises, has been actively engaged in public governance issues for more than two decades, publishing its first comprehensive plan for parliamentary reform in 1983. Mr. d’Aquino said Mr. Martin’s reforms should enable elected […]
Congratulations to Canada’s 21st Prime Minister
Dear Prime Minister, Together with my colleagues, the members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, I extend to you our warmest congratulations on the occasion of your swearing in as Canada’s 21st Prime Minister at Government House in Ottawa this morning. It gives us special pleasure to salute your achievement as the most distinguished Council alumnus in the public life of Canada. Having so successfully combined a career in both business and politics, you are a model to all Canadians who aspire to serve their community and their country. This morning, you have assembled within your new Cabinet a strong team of dedicated Canadians eager to advance Canada’s social and economic progress. My Council colleagues and I look forward to working with you and with them as together we pursue the goal of making Canada the best place in the world in which to live, to work, to invest […]
New Directions: Managing the Canada – United States Relationship
(Notes for Closing Remarks)
This has been a stimulating conference. We have shared insights, experiences and no small amount of wisdom. My fellow co-chair, Herb Gray, and I have been invited to offer some concluding comments. For my part, this task is made easier because of the many excellent contributions from speakers and delegates both yesterday and today. We have talked at length about the daunting challenges that Canada faces in forging a sovereign path forward in an integrating world. But we also have agreed, I believe, that there is cause for hope, that Canada can indeed achieve great things on the global stage. There is no getting around the fact that both within North America and globally, a successful strategy for moving forward must come to grips with issues of security. For too many years, Canada effectively has been a free rider on the coattails of the United States military. As such, we […]
New Directions: Managing the Canada – United States Relationship (Introductory Remarks)
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this conference hosted by The Summit Institute which hails from Vancouver and my native province, British Columbia. It is a privilege to share the duties of co-chair with the Right Honourable Herb Gray, an individual who has distinguished himself in the service of Canada for more than forty years and who continues to offer leadership through his stewardship of the International Joint Commission of Canada and the United States. Over the past two years, two trends have dominated discussion about global strategy for businesses and governments alike. The first is the continuing process of global economic integration. The increasingly open flows of trade, of investment, of people and above all of ideas have revolutionized our world — how students learn, how consumers shop, how citizens participate, how communities work together, how businesses grow and how countries prosper. Developing a winning strategy for Canada in this […]
Canada’s Leading CEOs Lay Out Three Priorities for Achieving Martin’s Vision of Social Progress and Global Influence
The chief executive officers of 150 leading Canadian enterprises today congratulated Paul Martin on his election as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and expressed broad support for his vision of a “politics of achievement” that would strengthen the country’s social foundations while ensuring a place of influence and pride for Canada in the world. But in a 10-page memorandum to the prime minister designate titled Building Our Country, Shaping the World: A Leadership Vision for Canada, the members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) emphasized that Canada’s economic strength will determine the extent to which Canadians are able to transform this ambitious vision into tomorrow’s reality. “Everything that Canada can hope to achieve as a country depends on a healthy and growing economy.” The memorandum, signed by CCCE Chairman Richard L. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of Suncor Energy Inc., and by CCCE President and […]
Building Our Country, Shaping the World: A Leadership Vision for Canada
Congratulations on your election as the new Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and as Canada’s next Prime Minister. You already have made your mark in the private sector and as Minister of Finance. Now you face the challenge and opportunity of shaping our future as a country. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives agrees that Canada stands at a rare moment of historic possibility, and to make the most of this opportunity, we see three strategic priorities. First, Canada must build an increasingly competitive economy to provide all Canadians with a quality of life that is unmatched in the world. Second, Canada must be a sovereign and dynamic partner in shaping a secure and prosperous North America. Third, Canada must become an effective catalyst for human progress globally. In offering our thoughts on public policy, we are fully conscious of our own responsibilities both as citizens and business […]
Canadian Business Leader Calls for Renewal of Transatlantic Economic and Security Relations
Addressing a meeting of the A.T. Kearney-sponsored Global Business Policy Council in London, England, the President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), Thomas d’Aquino, urged business leaders in Canada, the European Union and the United States to work closely with their respective governments to renew and strengthen transAtlantic economic and security relations. Given the increasing number of incidents of terrorism and the consequent growing threat to lives and to world commerce, Mr. d’Aquino said that better understanding and closer co-operation among Atlantic partners is essential. “A number of historic events have compelled Europeans and North Americans alike to distance themselves from the post-Second World War idea of transAtlanticism. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War led to an inevitable recalculation of mutual defence and security needs,” he added. “Also, progressive European political and […]
Paul Martin Urged to Take the Lead in Forging a New Vision for North American Cooperation
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 […]
Disappearing Surplus Reinforces Need for Rigorous Spending Review
The rapidly shrinking surplus and continuing risks highlighted by Finance Minister John Manley in today’s fiscal update reinforce the need for rigorous review and reallocation of federal spending, says the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). Mr. Manley referred repeatedly to the importance of reassessing programs to reflect changing needs. Regrettably, the government has yet to show that it is willing to make reallocation a permanent feature of the way the government manages taxpayers’ money, noted CCCE President and Chief Executive, Thomas d’Aquino. “The token $1 billion reallocation exercise announced in the last budget took twice as long as planned,” Mr. d’Aquino added. “If the government is serious about being able to meet new and growing needs in areas such as health care and defence, it has to look a lot harder at how to make better use of the money it already spends.” In its pre-budget submission to the […]
Canada’s Competitiveness Ranking in the 2003 World Economic Forum Index
Dear Klaus, I know that you are en route to China but I have been assured that the contents of this letter will be communicated to you upon your arrival. I was greatly surprised and disappointed to learn yesterday that Canada fell from 9 to 16 in the World Economic Forum’s 2003 Growth Competitiveness Index Rankings, and from 10 to 12 in the Business Competitiveness Index Rankings. My misgivings were compounded this morning by the prominent front-page treatment given to the rankings in Canada’s leading newspapers. There are two major reasons for my concerns. The first is that I do not believe that the rankings accurately reflect the reality of Canadian economic and competitive performance. As you know, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives carefully tracks a wide number of factors of economic competitiveness, both in Canada and within the G-7. Our research is based on hard analysis and not […]
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