Finance committee  The short answer to your question is yes. You're referring to the difference between self-regulation and government-led regulation. Regulations or legislation establishing a framework or requiring compliance ensure that all parties are represented. As you so clearly stated, to date, so far, Loblaw and Walmart have indicated that they wouldn't sign on to a Canadian grocery code of conduct.

Finance committee  I can't speak for the government.

Finance committee  The Canada Health Act calls for universal coverage. In our view, all dental care should be covered by a plan and there should be no discrimination, regardless of a person's income or whether or not they already have group insurance with their employer. Everyone, without exception, should have access to the dental care they need.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  Of course, when you're the sole purchaser of drugs—which is what a universal, public, single-payer drug plan would propose—you have greater bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies. So we need to bring all these parties together, all Canadians, all provinces and the federal government, to make medication accessible.

Finance committee  It's simply that a plan should be entirely public. There should be no distinction between those who have insurance through their employer and those who don't; everyone should have the same public insurance and access to the same pool of drugs deemed essential to treat health conditions.

Finance committee  Ultimately, all seniors should be able to benefit from this increase so that they don't find themselves in a precarious position by being penalized if they work. We understand that some seniors can no longer return to work, but we believe that all seniors should be covered by this reform, which was submitted, I believe, last year.

Finance committee  We agree. The governing party has been proposing this reform for a long time, since 2015. There were consultations in 2022. We believe the time has come to pass a bill and implement measures, since we're talking about vulnerable people right now. Reform should be undertaken as quickly as possible.

Finance committee  Basically, it would be a matter of broadening accessibility to benefits, extending the period during which one can receive such benefits, and ensuring that each person receives a viable amount until they find a job.

Finance committee  As for reforming the act, I refer you to Ms. Quaid's edifying comments. For our part, we have focused mainly on small measures and the grocers' code. We believe this code should be mandatory. Indeed, when you want to regulate a business or an industry, you have to ensure that standards are set, that they are mandatory, and that compliance is monitored by an independent authority.

Finance committee  It's not necessarily in this brief, but we want to ensure the rate is sufficient to deter lending that could be considered abusive and that preys on the most vulnerable people in society. My director may have something to add to this. Personally, I was more focused on food, the grocers' code and competition law.

Finance committee  Good morning, members of the committee. First of all, we welcome the changes to competition law. Increasing competition can be a way of reducing the price of goods and services. Both the Competition Bureau and the Competition Tribunal must therefore have the right tools giving them greater power so that, ultimately, they can fulfill their mandate properly.