The self-employed are often low-income people. They're often there not by choice but by necessity. If you have a low income and you make some payment into the CPP, it is a significant amount of money. You're right: if the employer and employee are both contributing, it's deferred wages for the employee. But for the low-income self-employed, it is a tough thing to do. So we're recommending that you look at it. Maybe a strategy could be developed that would make it possible for at least some contribution to be made. Maybe it would be at a lower level, but at least it would be something.
On November 24th, 2009. See this statement in context.