I'll try to be as brief as possible. This is one of the reasons why my opening statement differed from the last time.
I'm setting aside the issue of fixing salaries, which merits a meeting of its own, in my opinion, at which I'd be pleased to make a lot more comments on the topic. I'm also setting aside the fact that I don't like the use of a budget bill. As for the other provisions, I'm of the view that they're not surprising amendments and are justifiable, given that we're trying to catch up.
I think that my perspective will differ somewhat from those of some of my colleagues on the fact that we'll be criticized or that our reputation will be tarnished. In the consent agreement with Facebook, the penalty that we imposed was $9.5 million, almost the maximum amount possible. The United States imposed a penalty of $5 billion.
I think that the possibility of increasing the amount is not a problem in itself. We are well below the fines imposed by European countries and the United States. Should we go as high as them? No. That was just an example.
I was thinking this week, and you'll acknowledge that things are changing. I think our gradual recognition is an interim step. However, I really wouldn't want that interim step to become permanent, because that would be a mistake.
While we cannot do it all at once, we want to send a message to market players, consumers, Canadians, businesses of all kinds and our international partners. I think it's a good idea to at least take these small steps.
However, I have a reservation. Indeed, I find that the Competition Bureau should quickly publish clear guidelines on how it intends to enforce some of these elements. I am not convinced that we need to suspend the enforcement of the provisions. Setting aside the offence of fixing salaries, I think we could move ahead. However, it would be very important for the bureau to step up and oversee these changes.
It is very important to understand that the amendments to the act are not a silver bullet. It doesn't change a culture or an application. It doesn't change things. That's why we need guidance from the agency responsible for enforcing the law to adjust and support these amendments. The bureau is very good at consulting. It will propose guidelines to which people will react, including my friends who are attending this meeting virtually.
We are working to ensure that this is well done. I therefore think that it's a mistake to believe that passing legislation is a magic answer. My reservation is related more to that, and the fact that I still don't like using a budget bill. On those conditions, I'm prepared to accept that we may need to take strict measures.