Managing for Growth: Fiscal Prudence, Competitive Taxation and Smarter Spending
Madame Chair, Honourable Members, on behalf of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, thank you for the opportunity to offer our thoughts on the fiscal challenges facing the federal government in the next budget and beyond. Smart fiscal policy matters because it drives both growth in jobs and incomes and the capacity of governments to provide high quality public services. How the federal government manages taxpayers’ money has a real impact on how effective it will be in improving the quality of life of Canadians. The Council this year has prepared a substantial written submission. Many of its 15 specific recommendations reflect comments we have made in the past, especially with respect to the importance of prudent fiscal management and the use of tax policy to create real competitive advantages for Canada. The Council’s central concern today, however, is the explosive growth of federal spending. I therefore would like to […]
Business Leaders Offer "5 Percent Solution" to Drive Better Value from Federal Spending
The federal government should legislate an overall cap on spending growth and introduce a rigorous and continuous spending review process to ensure that Canadians receive good value for the taxes they pay, says the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). In its annual submission to the House of Commons Finance Committee, the CCCE proposes a “5 percent solution” to the problem of spiralling federal spending. Direct spending by federal departments is projected to jump 34 percent in just four years (see accompanying fact sheet). Under the CCCE’s plan, each senior executive in the public service and each minister would be required annually to identify the least effective 5 percent of the spending within his or her area of responsibility. This would generate a pool of more than $3 billion a year that could be reallocated to meet new or growing needs in areas such as health care and defence. “The […]
Canadian Business Leaders Urge Asia Pacific Forum to Set an Example for the World
The members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum should take a strong stand in favour of encouraging global growth and eradicating poverty by accelerating efforts toward freer trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region and beyond, Canada’s business leaders say. “APEC has long stood for the promotion of freer commerce and trade, a cause that suffered a setback with the breakdown last month of the World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico,” said Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE). “We need to restart the WTO talks as soon as possible. APEC members should set an example for the world by showing just how much industrialized and developing countries can accomplish when they work together constructively.” Prime Minister Jean ChrǸtien and 20 other leaders are expected to attend the annual APEC summit next week in Bangkok. APEC’s member economies […]
Business Leaders Congratulate McGuinty, Highlight Fiscal Challenges Facing Ontario
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), which represents the CEOs of 150 leading Canadian corporations, today congratulated Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty on his victory in yesterday’s provincial election. “You and your team have earned your impressive victory, and we wish you well as you assume the awesome responsibility of governing Canada’s most populous province and the core of our country’s economic engine,” Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the CCCE, said in a letter to the Premier-elect. The CCCE’s members include the chief executives of the vast majority of Ontario’s largest private-sector employers in industries such as banking, insurance, automotive and other manufacturing, transportation, communications, information technology, resource production and distribution, hospitality, and retailing. In his letter to Mr. McGuinty, Mr. d’Aquino noted that the incoming government faces difficult choices about how best to address the pressing needs of today without undermining future economic growth and job […]
Managing for Growth: Fiscal Prudence, Competitive Taxation and Smarter Spending
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives once again welcomes the opportunity to make a pre-budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance. By the time 2003 is out, the governing party federally will have chosen a new leader and most Canadians will have had the opportunity either to affirm the mandate of their provincial governments or to vote for change at that level. This period of leadership transition is an excellent opportunity for strategic reflection. In fiscal terms, Canada needs to look back at what it has accomplished, assess where it is today and consider how best to chart its path forward. As an organization made up of the chief executive officers of 150 leading Canadian enterprises, operating from coast to coast in every major sector of the economy, the Council always participates vigorously in discussions of fiscal policy. Because of the extent of leadership transition sweeping the country this […]
Business Leaders Applaud Steps to Enhance Canada’s Presence in the United States
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) applauds the federal strategy announced today to enhance Canada’s trade and policy advocacy presence in the United States. “This welcome effort will contribute significantly to the management of our most important bilateral economic and security relationship,” said Thomas d’Aquino, the Council’s President and Chief Executive. The CCCE is composed of the CEOs of 150 leading Canadian corporations. The strengthened representation will elevate Canada’s presence in the United States with government and business at the regional, state and city levels. “It recognizes the inescapable reality that all politics in the United States is local,” said Mr. d’Aquino. “This will help to identify and deal with emerging issues faster and more effectively and to generate a broader and deeper network of partnerships with our American neighbours.” Mr. d’Aquino added that this expansion of Canada’s representation and level of activity should be just the first step […]
The World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda and the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in Mexico
The World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda and the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in Mexico
Build on Momentum, Deliver on Ambitious Agenda, Business Leaders Advise WTO Trade Ministers
Canada’s business leaders are urging members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) gathered in Cancǧn, Mexico next week to seize the opportunity to deliver on an ambitious agenda for spreading the full benefits of trade and investment liberalization to developing countries. Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), congratulated WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi, negotiators, trade ministers and business leaders on their recent resolution of one of the most difficult issues blocking broader progress, that of access to affordable medicines for least developed countries. “Resolution of this issue marks a vital step toward achieving the full potential of the WTO’s Doha Development Agenda,” said Mr. d’Aquino. “The challenges that lie ahead on other issues will require more of the same extraordinary good will, commitment, leadership and vision, but it is now clear that meaningful progress is possible.” The next critical set of issues […]
BSE and the Canada – Japan Relationship
Dear Mr. Okuda, I am writing to you on an issue of critical importance to the Canadian food industry and to the Canada-Japan relationship. As you may be aware, in May of 2003 a single cow was discovered with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alberta, Canada. Since that time, Japan has closed its markets to imports of Canadian beef products and has asked the United States to put in place a country of origin labeling system by September 1st to differentiate American from Canadian beef. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) strongly supports the implementation of appropriate government actions to ensure the safety of the food supply. Canada maintains one of the most rigorous meat inspections systems in the world. In addition, over the past several weeks, extraordinary actions have been taken by our governments to restore confidence in Canada’s meat supply. Canada’s BSE investigation has gone well beyond […]
Be Bold, Business Leaders Tell Ministers at World Trade Organization Meeting in Montreal
The members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) should continue to pursue a bold and ambitious agenda in the Doha Round of multilateral trade talks, Canada’s business leaders have told trade ministers from 25 countries gathered this week in Montreal. Thomas d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), said the increasingly uncertain outlook for the global economy reinforces the need for real progress at the meeting of ministers from all 146 WTO member countries in Cancǧn, Mexico in September. While the degree of success or failure in Cancǧn will affect both the Canadian and global economies, its most potent impact will be on less developed countries, he said after a meeting Monday in Montreal with WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi and Canadian Minister for International Trade Pierre Pettigrew. “Billions of people in the developing world are counting on the courage of political leaders in […]
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