Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada had the opportunity to meet with members of the All-Party Caucus on cooperatives on November 26. The meeting coincided with CMC’s meeting of delegates held in Ottawa.
Madame Hélène LeBlanc chaired the fifth Co-op Caucus meeting. President Léo LeBlanc, Executive Director Denise Guy and the president of CMC`s government affairs committee, Jack Wilkinson, presented. Members of CMC’s Board were also invited to attend and participate.
Also presenting was Ms. Julie Cafley, Vice-President of Canada’s Public Policy Forum.
The CMC presentation focused on the co-operative sectors need for partnership with the federal government to create a comprehensive strategy for co-operative development. Jack Wilkinson also reiterated CMC’s request for government support for the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund (FICC).
In view of the special committee on co-operatives report from 2012, entitled Situation of co-operatives in Canada, discussions also revolved around the possible review of the Canadian Co-operatives Act and mechanisms for reducing he bureaucratic burden for co-ops.
Denyse Guy commented on the Special Committee recommendation that asked the government to promote the co-operative business model inside government and to regional economic development agencies. She also touched on the role CMC is playing in Canada to promote the International Co-operative Alliance Blueprint for Co-operative Decade.
Julie Cafley presented findings from the Public Policy Forum research report At the Vanguard of Canadian Innovation: Compilation of Co-op Case Studies. This research was conducted to profile innovations in the co-op sector across Canada and featured eleven case studies.
This was the second meeting of the All Party Co-operative Caucus in the fall session. There are four more scheduled for Spring 2015.