Mr. Speaker, I got a little ahead of myself this morning. I wanted to speak against all these motions saying that they were not good for this bill. Now I am able at least to address Motions Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8 once again to say how I believe that this is not going to help the competence of this bill in any way. They should be opposed.
Bill C-20 provides a much needed legal framework as we know for the telemarketing industry. Motions Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8 of Group No. 2 would expand this framework to include Internet communication.
It may seem tempting to share the Bloc member's belief that this legislation would better serve Canadians if its scope were broadened. In fact it appears to make perfect sense that deceptive marketing over the Internet is as fraudulent and as abhorrent as deceptive marketing over the telephone.
However the sections of Bill C-20 that deal with telemarketing were designed with the understanding that telephone communication involves the potential for psychological coercion. That is largely absent in Internet communication.
The manipulation, the deceit, the pressure, the intimidation that unfairly mar the telemarketing industry are not as acute in Internet trade where the customer can, with the simple click of the mouse, make the offensive party disappear. It is much more difficult to hang up on a live voice over the telephone and it is much easier to be persuaded by a deceitful salesperson over the phone than on the Internet.
Furthermore, the question of how to regulate electronic commerce is one that demands a thorough investigation. I would like to remind the House that in October of this year at a ministerial conference this issue will be addressed in its entirety, at which point the industry committee can examine the legal and regulatory questions with greater understanding.
For these reasons I would recommend to my colleagues that all of the Group No. 2 amendments be opposed.
As we know, telemarketing scams hurt the poor and the vulnerable. Senior citizens are less reliant on the Internet and this therefore is not a pressing issue. Rather than confusing this part of the bill to add the Internet regulation, I think it is important that we just deal specifically with the telemarketing industry.
I would like to commend Industry Canada on this initiative. It deserves our support. Trying to add motions to this part of Bill C-20 would just complicate the issue further.