Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, Minister. Thank you for being here.
Thank you, as well, to your team of officials.
Minister, the bill contains a slew of very positive measures. I have a limited amount of time, so I will focus on those I have questions or comments about.
I'll start with division 8 of part 4, which enacts the Retail Payment Activities Act.
I realize that legislation in this area is needed given the current void, so I applaud the measure. I will continue to examine how the legislation will interact with the Quebec Civil Code, which governs person-to-person transactions. I want to better understand why the federal government is regulating these activities.
Right now, though, I am mainly interested in hearing about your plans for the tech giants, major online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. Does division 8 of part 4 allow them, either directly or indirectly, to provide services currently offered by financial institutions?