Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on Bill C-6, the personal information protection and electronic documents act.
I will begin by putting things into perspective. The government is committed to fostering the growth of an electronic based economy in Canada, to prepare all Canadians for a new global economy and electronic commerce and to ensure that we are ready, willing and able to compete against the best the world has to offer.
For Canada to do that and to become a leader in the knowledge based economy and in electronic commerce, consumers and businesses must be comfortable with the new technologies and with the impact that these technologies will have on their lives.
Trust is very crucial. Canadians want to know that their transactions are private and secure, that legal and financial networks exist to support transactions and that the information infrastructure works.
A recent survey by Angus Reid found that 80% of Canadians think that their personal data should be kept strictly confidential. A 1998 Ekos survey also found that four out of five Canadians want the government to work with businesses to set rules for privacy protection.
Canadians have called for legislation that would define a single set of rules and establish a level playing field where the same marketplace rules apply to all. The direct marketing industry, information technology companies, telecommunication companies and banks all realize that we need a clear federal legislative privacy framework in Canada. They also recognize that flexible but effective legislation will help customers accept electronic ways of doing business and, of course, less expensive for them.