Leadership Lecture Series: Ali Ghiassi
October 11, 2016 | By Public Policy Admin |
Getting a Deal: An Insider’s Account of the Historic Interprovincial Agreement to Enhance the CPP
On June 20th, the federal and provincial governments reached a breakthrough agreement to expand the Canada Pension Plan marking the first significant increase in CPP benefits since the program was launched 50 years ago. Reaching a deal on CPP enhancement was not a forgone conclusion taking many political pundits by surprise when it was announced. How the deal came together, including the underlying politics, policies and personalities provides important lessons and insight for students interested in how executive federalism in Canada actually works. This is an opportunity to hear an insider’s account on the art of the CPP deal from someone who played an active part in the negotiations and who was in the room when the agreement was finally inked.
About the Speaker:
Ali Ghiassi is Chief of Staff to the Hon. Charles Sousa, Ontario’s Minister of Finance. In this capacity, Ali is the Minister’s most senior advisor playing a leadership role in the formulation of the government’s fiscal and economic policies. Ali has taken the lead on a number of major government initiatives including meeting Ontario’s commitment to a balanced budget, modernizing the province’s beverage alcohol system, and striking a historic interprovincial deal to enhance Canadian Pension Plan.
