Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 400 residents of the County of Peterborough, many of whom I know personally.
They point out that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, has allowed Bell Canada to increase local area calling rates by $2 per month for each of 1995, 1996 and 1997, which represents an increase of approximately 50 per cent over three years. They point out that the proposed increases far exceed the cost of living index and that the proposed savings in long distance rates will be of little benefit to the majority of senior citizens receiving the guaranteed income supplement and other low income individuals.
Therefore, these petitioners request that Parliament urge the CRTC to require Bell Canada to file a plan that will address the issues of accessibility to local telephone service and the affordability of local calling rates for senior citizens who are receiving the guaranteed income supplement as well as other low income individuals in our community.