Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, good morning.
My name is Maxime Dorais, and I'm co-CEO of Union des consommateurs.
I would first like to thank Mr. Gabriel Ste‑Marie for inviting us to appear before the committee to present our analysis of Bill C‑59.
First, let me introduce you to our organization. Union des consommateurs represents 14 consumer rights associations. Our mission is to promote and defend consumer rights, with a particular focus on low-income households.
In addition to consumer law, Union des consommateurs' team of risk analysts also takes a keen interest in social policies. On top of research and public awareness work, the union undertakes collective actions to support consumers and advance consumer law.
As part of the bill currently under study, we were primarily interested in measures affecting competition and affordability in grocery stores.
I'll now hand over to my colleague Olivier Surprenant, public policy analyst.