Harper, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said his government’s priorities will include building capacity to export oil to Asia, negotiating free trade agreements, and making government spending more sustainable.
“The wealth of western economies is no more inevitable than the poverty of emerging ones,” Harper said. “Canada will make the transformations necessary to sustain economic growth, job creation and prosperity now and for the next generation.”
The government will also make the country’s fiscal position sustainable “over the next generation,” in part by limiting growth of pension spending, Harper said. While the national Canada Pension Plan is fully funded, Harper said the government will make “the changes necessary to ensure sustainability” of parts of the pension system that aren’t fully funded, “while not affecting current recipients.” He didn’t elaborate.
Subsequently, the federal government has assured Canadians that their pensions are secure. Harper revisited the issue and said the government would not cut the OAS, but would examine challenges facing the country’s retirement income system.
“We will ensure our vital programs are sustainable in the long-term and for future generations,” Harper said.
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