Related News: "Fiscal and Tax Policy"
Federal budget will improve skills training, but developing modern and efficient labour markets requires ongoing commitment, business leaders say
OTTAWA – The 2013-2014 federal budget includes a number of measures to address Canada’s labour market requirements, but much more needs to be done at all levels of society to ensure that skill shortages do not choke economic growth, according to the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).
“Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has put his finger squarely on the problem: far too many well-paid jobs are going unfilled because employers can’t find people with the right skills,” said The Honourable John Manley, the CCCE’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
The CCCE is the senior voice of Canada’s business community, representing 150 chief executives and leading entrepreneurs in all sectors and regions of the country.
“Companies across the country, in sectors ranging from energy and natural resources to construction, manufacturing and services, are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit employees with the right qualifications,” Mr. Manley said. “It’s a problem today, and if left unchecked it will only get worse, undermining opportunities for Canadian workers and contributing to slower economic growth.”
In today’s budget, Mr. Flaherty pledged: new funding for businesses to train unemployed and under-employed workers; expanded support for apprentices; more internships for recent post-secondary graduates; and increased assistance for … Read more »
Ailish Campbell to join CCCE Secretariat as Vice President, Policy, International and Fiscal Issues
The Honourable John Manley, President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), today announced that Ailish Campbell will join the CCCE Secretariat as Vice President, Policy, International and Fiscal Issues, effective February 19, 2013.
“Ailish has a solid background as a policy leader on economic, international and trade issues,” Mr. Manley said. “She comes to us most recently from Industry Canada, where she has been Director General of the Manufacturing and Life Sciences Branch. Previously at Industry Canada she worked on the implementation of the Competition Policy Review Panel chaired by L.R. (Red) Wilson, which produced legislative amendments to the Investment Canada Act and the Competition Act.
“In addition to Industry Canada, Ailish has held executive positions in the Privy Council Office, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In these positions, she has worked on intellectual property issues including changes to the Copyright Act, foreign investment, and trade issues including softwood lumber. She has also been a member of Canada’s negotiating team in the Doha Round of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization. Throughout these activities her advice has centred on how to make Canada and Canadian firms more globally … Read more »
Fiscally responsible 2012 budget includes targeted measures to improve Canadian competitiveness, CEOs say
OTTAWA, March 29, 2012 - The 2012 federal budget moves Canada closer to fiscal balance while taking steps to promote job creation and business investment, according to the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).
“By restraining the growth in public spending, reducing regulatory overlap, improving Canada’s immigration system and enhancing support for business-driven research, the government is helping to build a stronger and more competitive Canadian economy,” said The Honourable John Manley, the CCCE’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
The CCCE is the senior voice of Canadian business, representing 150 chief executives and entrepreneurs from all major sectors and regions of the country.
“Budget 2012 builds on our country’s reputation for fiscal responsibility, while at the same time establishing a more positive environment for private sector investment and growth,” Mr. Manley said.
The CCCE welcomes the budget’s commitments to:
- Build a faster and more flexible immigration system aimed at meeting Canada’s labour market needs;
- Reform the review process for major economic projects to establish clear timelines and reduce regulatory duplication;
- Intensify Canada’s pursuit of new and closer trade relationships, particularly in emerging markets;
- Introduce targeted improvements to the foreign ownership review process that will strengthen investor confidence and enhance transparency;
Business Leaders Welcome Improved Fiscal Outlook, Emphasize Need For Public Sector Spending Restraint
Canada’s federal deficit is declining faster than previously projected, driven in part by sustained economic growth, strong private-sector investment and higher-than-anticipated increases in corporate tax revenue, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) said today.
From a peak of $55.6 billion in 2009-10, the deficit is expected to fall to $40.5 billion in 2010-11 and $29.6 billion in 2011-12, according to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s 2011 federal budget. At the current pace – and provided that the government resists the temptation to launch major new spending initiatives – Ottawa is on track to record a small surplus in 2015-16.
One reason for the more positive fiscal outlook is that federal government revenues from corporate income taxation are projected to increase by an annual average of 6.3 percent between 2010-11 and 2015-16.
“As the federal stimulus program winds down and the economy shifts from recession to growth, Canada’s private sector is doing its part to create jobs and invest in the future,” said The Honourable John Manley, the CCCE’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Indeed, the budget indicates that corporate income taxes now represent the single fastest growing source of government revenue. Despite recent reductions in the statutory corporate tax rate, … Read more »
Canada Must Become A Nation Of Innovators, Coalition Says
Canada’s private and public sectors should move quickly to implement reforms that would strengthen the country’s innovation capacity and quality of life, a coalition of leaders from business, academia and supporting organizations said today.
The Coalition for Action on Innovation in Canada – chaired by The Honourable John Manley, President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, and Paul Lucas, President and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. – says it is committed to building a national consensus on 10 key recommendations to boost productivity, create jobs and raise income levels for Canadian workers.
“We believe that the measures we are recommending would make a real difference in putting our country firmly on track toward an innovative and prosperous future,” the coalition says in a concise 10-page report. (Copies of the report are available at www.actiononinnovation.ca.)
Echoing previous studies by the Council of Canadian Academies, The Conference Board of Canada, the federal Science, Technology and Innovation Council and other groups, the report says that Canada’s prosperity is threatened on three fronts – by increasingly intense global competition, an aging population and chronically weak productivity growth.
The solution to all three challenges, the coalition says, is to boost Canada’s capacity … Read more »
Fiscal Discipline Essential As Economy Improves, Business Leaders Say
The 2010 federal budget recognizes that economic recovery remains fragile and job creation tentative, but its commitment to fiscal discipline will ensure that Canada emerges from the current period of economic weakness in better shape than ever, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) said today.
“The immediate priority is to make sure that the recovery takes root and that employment growth picks up,” said The Honourable John Manley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the CCCE. “For that reason, we support the government’s intent to implement the fiscal stimulus measures contained in the second half of its two-year Economic Action Plan.”
“At the same time, it is vital that all Canadians understand the importance of returning to balanced budgets – at both the federal and provincial level – as rapidly as practicable once our economy has achieved a firm footing,” Mr. Manley said.
“Doing so will require tough choices, but we know from recent experience the advantages of living within our means. Indeed, one of the main reasons that Canada was not hit as hard as many other countries during the global downturn is that our governments entered the recession in a position of fiscal strength, having consistently run … Read more »
Hartley T. Richardson Elected Chair of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) has elected Hartley T. Richardson as its new Chair. Mr. Richardson is President and Chief Executive Officer of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, and has served as a member of the CCCE’s Executive Committee since 2006.
Mr. Richardson succeeds former Chair Gordon M. Nixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Bank of Canada. Mr.Nixon remains on the Council’s Executive Committee as Honorary Chair. Also on the Executive Committee are: The Honourable John P. Manley, CCCE President and Chief Executive Officer; First Vice Chair Paul Desmarais, Jr., Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Power Corporation of Canada; and Vice Chairs J. Bruce Flatt, Richard L. George and Annette Verschuren, the chief executives respectively of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., Suncor Energy Inc. and The Home Depot Canada and Asia.
Speaking after the CCCE’s New Year Members’ Meeting in Toronto this week, Mr. Richardson said he was looking forward to working with Mr.Manley and his fellow CEOs from coast to coast in promoting sound public policies that will ensure a better future for all Canadians. “As Canada’s economy struggles to emerge from recession, the need for bold ideas and focused leadership is stronger than ever,” … Read more »
CCCE Expresses Condolences On The Passing Of R. John Lawrence
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) today expressed its bereavement at the loss of longtime member R. John Lawrence.
“Jack Lawrence will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues alike,” said Thomas d’Aquino, the CCCE’s Chief Executive and President. “Beyond his contributions as an influential member of Canada’s business community, his passion for good public policy was one of his most notable characteristics. He was a champion of Canadian competitiveness and fought tirelessly for responsible fiscal policy. In addition, he was a generous supporter of academic excellence. My colleagues from across the country join me in extending our condolences to the Lawrence family in the face of this tragic loss.”
The CCCE is a non-partisan organization composed of 150 chief executives and entrepreneurs heading Canada’s leading enterprises. CCCE members lead companies that collectively administer $4.5 trillion in assets and have annual revenues of more than $850 billion.
In addition to Mr. d’Aquino, the members of the CCCE’s Executive Committee are: Chair, Gordon M. Nixon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Royal Bank of Canada; Honorary Chair Richard L. George, President and Chief Executive Officer, Suncor Energy Inc.; and Vice Chairs Laurent Beaudoin, Chairman, Bombardier Inc., Paul Desmarais, Jr., Chairman and … Read more »
Business Leaders Congratulate Premier Gordon Campbell For Strengthening British Columbia’s Competitiveness
British Columbia’s decision to harmonize its provincial sales tax (PST) with the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) is absolutely the right strategy for these difficult times and will help to create new jobs as Canada emerges from recession, says Thomas d’Aquino, Chief Executive and President of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).
“Canada’s business leaders congratulate Premier Gordon Campbell for his leadership and vision,” Mr. d’Aquino said. “In a single, bold stroke, his government will strengthen British Columbia’s competitiveness, attract new investment and improve employment opportunities for workers throughout the province.”
The CCCE has been a strong advocate of sales tax harmonization since the GST went into effect in 1991. The conversion of a traditional retail sales tax to a value-added tax benefits the economy by encouraging companies to invest in new equipment, by lowering the costs of business inputs, and by reducing the cost of compliance and administration. Those benefits in turn result in lower prices and higher incomes for consumers.
Earlier this year, Ontario’s government announced that it intends to harmonize its PST with the GST following the example of previous reforms by Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Quebec. With Ontario and British Columbia now … Read more »
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