Agreed. Apples and oranges. ( I think the defined benefit plans should be off the table for new hires, and have thought so for at least a two decades.)
When I saw the headline, I thought perhaps the writer would be going after the healthcare plans, which are probably the gold standard in Canada. As I understand it, they are not a taxable benefit. Yet many, many Canadians have no healthcare plan, and at best, can only get a modest tax credit for their health care expenditures that fall outside of those covered by their province. The cure would be to tax the plans, or allow those without a plan full deductions against income for health expenses.