Federal Pension Consultations Too Restricted

CLC President Georgetti says CPP/QPP is best way to protect us.

Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, says he is disappointed that pension reform consultations announced by the federal finance minister will include only three meetings open to the public.

"These are not the broadly-based public consultations that we have been promised on pension reform, and the minister is going to face a backlash from frustrated Canadians," Georgetti said. "We in the labour movement believe that an enhanced Canada Pension Plan is the easiest, most cost-effective savings vehicle for retirement."

Georgetti was responding to an announcement made on March 24 by Jim Flaherty, the federal finance minister. Flaherty said that in April and May pension reform will be discussed in town hall meetings in Charlottetown, Quebec City and Richmond, B.C. There will be policy conferences with invited participants in Calgary and Toronto and several other meetings open only to invited stakeholders.

"Well over half of all Canadians will have no access to public forums on the future of their pensions," Georgetti said. "If you live in the province of Ontario, or in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Yukon or Northwest Territories, you won’t be able to attend a meeting and have your say. That is not good enough and I invite Canadians to tell the minister so."