Industry committee  To be honest, I forget if we said in our response to the TPR whether it was relevant there. Philosophically, we're not opposed to removing the foreign ownership restrictions at the right time. We think that regulatory reform is a precondition to that, because it's very important that we don't expose Canadian companies in weaker positions—there are enough of them being taken over as it is—to foreign takeovers any more than they would otherwise be.

Industry committee  Could I answer? As I mentioned before, it's very important to actually know what the situation is in Canada. As I said before, the cable plan in Canada reaches 98% of all households. The telephone business is about 99%, so both are roughly ubiquitous--and by the way, we're significantly higher than the United States; the United States is in the range of 95%.

Industry committee  No, I would say there isn't.

Industry committee  In July of this year, the U.K. removed all retail price caps. They said there was sufficient competition. They did provide some protection for the disadvantaged or low-income consumers, but they basically said competition will protect consumers. As I mentioned in my remarks, that's in an industry where only 25% of households have cable.

Industry committee  I'm not convinced that wireless prices are out of line with those in the OECD world. It is true that certainly if you look at average minutes of usage per month, we are very competitive with prices in the United States, which arguably is the most important one for us to compare ourselves to.

Industry committee  I guess I'd just say this is such a fast-moving industry. I think we are fundamentally talking about what the proper role of government here is. As I pointed out in my remarks, if we thought about it, many of the devices consumers use today that give them freedom, choice, and better service didn't exist before.

Industry committee  Can I start, Janet? This document here, by the way, is an appendix to the submission we made to the telecom policy review panel. It's 98 pages long. This is a list of all of the regulations we are subject to today; the index is over 10 pages. So we are living in an unbelievably complicated, micromanaged world.

Industry committee  Look at my very last quote, the last word to Canadians themselves, the vast majority of consumers. If it doesn't, in your view, mention that enough, that's an oversight on my part, because from our point of view, the most important thing and what we think is driving the changes in this sector is from the demand side of the market, what's happening with consumers.

Industry committee  I don't think that is correct. If you look at my statement, I said several times that it's—

Industry committee  First of all, I don't think it's necessary to have more consultation. That was what the telecom policy review mandate was, to go out and consult with consumers and with affected parties and use their expertise to make a recommendation to the government, so that was done. It was done over the course of a year, and I think it was done very, very effectively.

Industry committee  I was on the wrong channel. I'm sorry, I didn't hear.

Industry committee  Let me quickly comment on the business market. The business market, in our view, is the most competitive market we face. Mr. McTeague, if you like, I could give you some information about what has happened to prices in those markets. Certainly under some wholesale access regimes they can.

Industry committee  No, in my view it does not. As Janet said, I think it falls squarely within the power given by Parliament to the government in section 8 of the act. In fact, it is slightly modified from what the TPR panel themselves recommended, but I think it falls squarely within the powers the government is given in section 8.

Industry committee  Others can answer, but that's a good question. I've mentioned to the chair of the CRTC that we're going to have to operationalize this general policy direction. Then, of course, that's why we think it is within the powers of section 8, because it only allows the government to make general directions to the commission; it can't decide individual cases.

Industry committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good afternoon, members of the committee. I am happy to be here today to express Bell Canada’s support for the proposed policy direction to the CRTC. The urgent need to reform Canada’s telecom policy framework was well established in the landmark report of the telecommunications policy review panel, which reported last spring.