Evidence of meeting #157 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was technology.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Former Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, As an Individual
I don't think so, and I'm glad you asked that question because I didn't quite know what to do about that.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'm glad that you helped us follow the money. I think there's a lot more work to do in following the money. It is billions and billions of dollars.
This is in a gentle response to my colleague, Mr. Shields.
I go to lots of junk sales and I think I should put my basement stuff onto one of them. Maybe I'd make some money. But there's a difference between things that are in abundance and things that are scarce, and everything we're talking about here is in a scarce market.
If I want that thing that you're selling at your sale, but some group comes and puts 10 groups in front of me and jacks up your one-dollar trophy to a hundred bucks so I don't even see it at a dollar, that's the issue, and that's the protection to the consumer. I can still buy it for a hundred dollars but I never even saw it at one dollar. The people in the middle, those new entrants to the market, who are not even there in person—they're in another space, coming in as bots—are able to press the button, have those agents there, and I don't even get to see your valuable treasure for a dollar. It's only ever a hundred dollars. I think there is something here about the scarcity and abundance market. A regulatory piece that tracks and follows the money is where we could have both the consumer protection.... I agree with you. We can't go too far because people can choose how to spend their money.
4:10 p.m.
Former Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, As an Individual
You're exactly right. Hype is created around the tickets. Tickets are held back by promoters and artists. The Tragically Hip loves to have the first five rows for fans only. All those things create hype and excitement around the ticket. The manager wants the artist to think the manager has sold out. If the artist is newer and the tickets aren't going quickly then the promoter has to do something with the tickets.
Quite often, secondary sale sites do not sell all the tickets. Sometimes the value of the tickets goes below the market face value. That's a consideration as well. The other thing is, in the case of The Tragically Hip, if you bought a ticket for $1,000, $2,000, that's a fairly high-priced item. If you get sick and can't go, what are you going to do? There's no recourse. There are many legitimate reasons somebody would not be able to go to a concert. Then what happens to those tickets? Do they go back to the venue, to the artist?
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Look, I doubt whether this will take 15 seconds.
I am on the StubHub site. I am buying a pair of tickets for the game between the Ottawa Redblacks and the Montreal Alouettes. The ticket price is in American dollars.
Does that ring a bell?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Thank you, Mr. Nantel.
That brings us to the end of this meeting. Thank you for bringing us that wealth of information from your own experience.
4:15 p.m.
Former Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, As an Individual
It was my pleasure.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
We will be distributing your notes once they're translated. We're going to be suspending briefly so we can move in camera for committee business.
Thank you.
[Proceedings continue in camera]