Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for being here this morning.
The argument was made that foreign ownership increases or improves efficiency and productivity in the host country, and the basic premise is competition brings better service.
We all know that corporations are in it for profit, and some would argue that foreign corporations are strictly profit. They're moving into an area that seems lucrative for them. Servicing a population is not something that is first on the agenda of a corporation. I think that's something that parliamentarians have to look at.
I come from northern Ontario. The premise makes a lot of sense in larger cities, more densely populated areas like Toronto or Vancouver and all the larger centres. When we look at places in rural Canada that are less densely populated, how do we see service improving in these less densely populated areas?
What is to encourage foreign owners from coming in and saying they are going to service northern Ontario and not only service rural Canada but also upgrade? Because it would be easy to say we have that in place and it's not feasible, whereas under regulation and under a monopoly that's regulated, or even under a duopoly, you have to provide that service. What is the incentive for foreign companies, and what kind of service do you perceive? Are there any other cases where rural, distant, less dense populations get service, and at which level?