Evidence of meeting #147 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was interac.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Well, it depends on MP Badawey.
Do you want to modify your motion?
Liberal
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
On a point of order, for clarity, is Mr. Badawey asking for unanimous consent to move the motion, because there was no notice given?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
There was no notice given. Therefore, yes, he's asking for UC to invite Bell and Telus to the meeting we're having on Thursday with Rogers present.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I'm a stickler for precedent, Chair, so I'm just checking.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Yes, I'm usually a stickler, too, but given that it's not a very substantive motion—it's just adding two witnesses to a meeting we've already agreed to—I'm a bit looser on procedure, MP Rempel Garner.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Hopefully, it's not.
Ideally, we could work with UC, but MP Masse is asking that we don't have Telus, just Bell.
Go ahead.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Well, I'm also wondering what's in order, since I asked for this specific, exact thing and was denied by the Liberal Party's parliamentary secretary. Does that create a procedural issue that we might inadvertently find ourselves with? That's what I was wondering, as well.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
It was decided on by the committee. The committee can do what it wants with unanimous consent, so that's what is being sought right now.
Do I have unanimous consent to invite Bell and Telus to the next meeting, on Thursday the 28th, when we have Rogers?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
I see no opposition. That's perfect. It is adopted.
Colleagues, it's close to 5:15. What I would suggest, given that we don't have time for another full round, is that I open the floor for a few more questions should members have any, regardless of party affiliation. When we're done, we can suspend for a few minutes and go to our second panel—hopefully before 5:30, so we can end earlier.
On that note, I'll open the floor. I'll recognize Mr. Perkins, and then Mr. Gaheer.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I'd like to do a quick, informal survey. I'd like everyone to reach into their wallet, pull out their card and look at the back of it.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Does anybody have any other company on their debit card listed as an option? I'd just like to know.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Commissioner, for anyone in your office, does it say anything else?
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Don't show your credit card number online, Rick. We can see it. Oh, my God.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You can't see it. It's not a credit card. It's a debit card.
Nobody has another logo on the back. Going to an earlier statement, this looks like an abuse of monopoly power because no one is given a choice. Your card is preprinted with the company they own, and it's the only option.
Is that not the definition, Ms. McWhinnie, of what you said earlier about abuse of power?
Deputy Commissioner, Monopolistic Practices Directorate, Competition Bureau Canada
Typically, if we have allegations of people being excluded from a network, or from offering a competing service, that's exactly what we investigate. Is there someone seeking to provide a competitive alternative being blocked in some way by the dominant entity? That would be the type of conduct we're looking at under the abuse of dominance provision in the Competition Act.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I'm a consumer being blocked from another option.
Deputy Commissioner, Monopolistic Practices Directorate, Competition Bureau Canada
Right. However, the consumer would need to have a service provider wanting to provide the service.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
There are ones trying to get into Canada that have not been allowed in by the system.
