INDU Committee Report
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Dissenting Opinion —
of the Conservative Party
At the October 26 meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, a motion was passed by the Committee recommending that the government impose a moratorium on implementing instructions respecting telecommunications policies recommended to the CRTC. The members of the Conservative caucus voted against this motion. The reasons are as follows:
The Conservative members feel that the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel, established by the former Liberal government on April 11, 2005 had ample time to hear all the witnesses required to issue its report. From the time it was set up, the Review Panel met with 166 companies and organizations to evaluate its review.
At the initial discussions to set the Committee’s agenda, at the start of the 39th session, the Conservative caucus members suggested to the Committee that more time be set aside to study its recommendations, so that it could hear more witnesses, and the offer was declined at the suggestion of the other members of the Committee. The reason given was that the other members wanted to emphasize the study of the manufacturing sector.
On June 13, the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry tabled in Parliament a proposed policy direction to the CRTC. Since then, the other members have not asked for or mentioned meeting more witnesses in this regard or expressed any need to study this sector in more depth. On the contrary, the other members of the Committee have urged that all the witnesses be heard at an information session organized by the Committee.
Following this information session, on October 21, we were asked to vote on a motion asking the government to impose a moratorium on implementing instructions respecting telecommunications policies recommended to the CRTC.
In our view, this request is inconsistent with the earlier actions of the other Committee members. It is unacceptable to industry stakeholders. It is irresponsible and a crude attempt to delay application of the policy direction to the CRTC for strictly partisan purposes, so as to obstruct the smooth operation of the business of the Government of Canada and then to criticize the government for not taking action.