The Honourable Dwight Duncan
Minister of Finance, Chair of Treasury Board
and Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
Frost Building South
7th Floor
7 Queens Park Crescent
Toronto, ON M7A 1Y7

Dear Minister:

Further to your recent discussions with Ontarians on the retirement income system, this is an area of great interest for Canada's life and health insurance companies. Indeed, Frank Swedlove, President of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, participated in your consultations in Ottawa earlier this month.

As service providers to the majority of pension plans and workplace retirement savings programs in Canada, life and health insurance companies play a significant role in supporting robust and effective retirement funding mechanisms. For your consideration, we attach our industry's comments and recommendations for enhancing coverage, adequacy and security of the retirement income system. Parallel documents are being provided to your counterparts in other provinces, as well as at the federal level.

Thank you for your interest in this matter; we would be happy to expand on any of these issues should you or your officials have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

Ron Sanderson
Director, Policyholder Taxation and Pensions