Thank you.
The do-not-call program has only been in operation for about eight months now. Our feeling is that it's important to give that program an opportunity to run for a reasonable period of time so that it can be properly evaluated. The original legislation provided for a report back to this committee on the operation of the do-not-call list. We'd be very concerned about including in this legislation, as almost an afterthought, a provision that would effectively allow the government, at the stroke of a pen at some later and not-defined date, to eliminate the program without the kind of discussion we feel would be warranted.
Even now, having heard of these provisions in the bill, we have members asking us, is it true? Is this program going to be pulled out or turned off? We think it creates uncertainty for the business community to have this kind of a trigger placed in the legislation. We just feel it's not necessary to the thrust of the Electronic Commerce Protection Act.
Granted the minister's argument that convergence may at some point yield an argument to make some changes, but I think at that time we would suggest that legislation be brought back and the situation be looked at then.