Thank you, Roger.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
As my colleague Roger has mentioned, the Competition Bureau has a role in informing regulators and policy-makers on competition matters, and we take this role seriously. In the past two years, the Bureau has made submissions to the CRTC in connection with its wireless code of conduct, as well as its reviews of broadcasting and television services, wireless roaming rates, and wholesale mobile wireless services, among others. These are important sectors of the economy, and a focus of the Bureau's competition promotion efforts to bring about more choices, lower prices and higher quality goods and services for consumers.
Accordingly, the Bureau is pleased by the amendments to the Telecommunications Act proposed in Bill C-43 that would allow the CRTC to share confidential information with the Bureau when that information is relevant to competition issues that the CRTC is considering. The amendments will bring the Telecommunications Act into line with federal legislation that regulates other industries, such as legislation governing matters before the Canadian Transportation Agency or the Canadian International Trade Tribunal.
This information sharing would enhance the Bureau's ability to analyze telecommunication markets and result in more substantive submissions to the CRTC on competition matters. The CRTC would therefore be able to make more informed decisions in telecommunication proceedings on issues relating to competition.
The Bureau understands the importance of competition in the telecommunications market to consumers, and it will continue to advocate in this area for the benefit of all Canadians. We believe the amendments proposed in Bill C-43 will further the objectives of both the CRTC and the Bureau with respect to this important sector of the economy.
Thank you again for inviting us today. We will be happy to answer your questions.