moved for leave to introduce Bill C-419, an act to amend the Telecommunications Act (restrictions on telemarketing).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce my private member's bill on telemarketing.
I am sure that most of us in the House and those listening have been bothered by phone calls from someone soliciting either a service or something we do not want.
My bill would allow Canadians to protect themselves against unwanted aggressive telemarketing by establishing a “do not call” list. My bill would provide the means for anyone who does not wish to receive telemarketing calls or faxes to place their telephone number on a list maintained by the CRTC. This list would be published quarterly in electronic form and telemarketers would be required to respect it. This is already in place in several U.S. states.
Telemarketers who fail to respect the list would commit an offence and would be liable to substantial fines under existing provisions of the Telecommunications Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)