The Liberal government in Ontario remains committed to ending mandatory retirement in the province after more than six months of consultation with the public and key stakeholders.

The government is expected shortly to introduce legislation to abolish the mandatory retirement law, says Belinda Sutton, an Ontario Ministry of Labour spokesperson. Existing legislation requires many employees to stop working at 65. The government is committed to ending mandatory retirement and giving Ontario workers the right to choose when they want to retire.

"Just over 300 written submissions were received in response to the ministry’s consultation paper on ending mandatory retirement and we heard a variety of opinions over the course of public meetings," she said.

The previous Conservative government introduced a bill to end mandatory retirement in 2003 but it was derailed after the Liberals took power. A number of business and labour organizations had opposed abolition of the law. But other groups, including the Ontario Human Right Commission and CARP (CanadaÃs Association For The 50Plus) with 400,000 members called for abandonment of the law which they contend is a form of age discrimination.

Mandatory retirement is now considered discriminatory, except in limited circumstances, in Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Besides Ontario, Saskatchewan, BC and Newfoundland still have mandatory retirement laws on the books.