The long-awaited report by the Ontario Expert Commission on
Pensions, A Fine Balance: Safe Pensions, Affordable, Fair
Rules, was released on November 20, 2008. The Commission's
mandate was to conduct the first review of Ontario's pension
legislation in over 20 years.
In an effort to reform and reinvigorate Ontario's pension
system, 142 recommendations have been proposed. At the core of
these recommendations are important issues related to pension plan
funding. The recommendations, if implemented, will be a welcome
change. However, there have been similar attempts in recommending
changes to Ontario's pension legislation in the past. Those
past efforts have failed. Until the Ontario provincial government
takes action, pension law in Ontario will remain unchanged. It
remains to be seen whether the Ontario provincial government has
the political appetite to implement any of the recommendations.
