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TRCM - Standing Committee

Transport and Communications

 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has the honour to table its

FIFTH REPORT


Your committee, which was authorized to examine the subject-matter of those elements contained in Divisions 15, 16 and 28 of Part 6 of Bill C-31, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 11, 2014 and other measures, has, in obedience to its order of reference of Wednesday, April 9, 2014, examined the said subject-matter and now reports as follows:

The Committee heard 19 witnesses between May 6 and 28, 2014. Based on the evidence heard:

  • Division 15 of Part 6 of Bill C-31 seems to have been well received.
  • Division 16 of Part 6 of Bill C-31 was well received. The committee notes that the roaming caps in the Bill are a temporary measure in place until the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission concludes its study of roaming. The committee also notes that the European Union has adopted strong regulatory measures to limit roaming charges. This committee has done previous work on the Canadian wireless industry, and continues to be concerned with the level of competition and the prices being charged to Canadians.
  • Division 28 of Part 6 of Bill C-31 seems to have been well received. Some witnesses, including the mayors of Montreal and Longueuil, expressed concerns about plans to collect tolls on the new bridge for the St. Lawrence.

The list of witnesses who appeared before the Committee is appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

DENNIS DAWSON

Chair


Appendix
List of witnesses
Study on the subject-matter of
Bill C-31,

City of Montreal:

Honourable Denis Coderre, P.C., Mayor.

City of Longueuil:  

Caroline St-Hilaire, Mayor.

Conseil régional de l’environnement de la Montérégie :  

Vincent Moreau, Executive Director;

Bruno Gadrat, First Vice-President, Strategic Planning and Sustainable Development;

Richard Marois, Third Vice-President, Media Relations and Coordination.

Wind Mobile:

Simon Lockie, Chief Regulatory Officer.

Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association:

Steve Rodgers, President.

Public Interest Advocacy Centre:  

John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel;

Geoff White, Legal Counsel.    

Industry Canada:

Pamela Miller, Director General, Telecommunications Policy Branch;

Christopher Johnstone, Senior Director, Industry Framework Policy.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC):  

Chris Seidl, Executive Director, Telecommunications;

Alastair Stewart, Senior Legal Counsel.

Transport Canada:

Thao Pham, Assistant Deputy Minister, Federal Montreal Bridges;

Kash Ram, Director General, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation;

Donald Roussel, Director General, Marine Safety;

Michel Leclerc, Director, Regulatory Affairs Coordination;

Isabelle Jacques, General Counsel and Associate Head;

Linda Wilson, Legal Counsel.


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