Industry committee  In my riding there are more rural small towns. In terms of telephone, there's some concern being raised by some people--I have not necessarily heard it--that some of the small companies won't be able to compete. You talked a little bit earlier about the three-by-three test, or the test for protection.

Industry committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. French, for coming out. I have just one comment on principle. In terms of regulations and regulatory legislation, would you make a comment to me on where you stand in terms of regulations? Do you support that regulations need to be put in place for pretty much most things?

Industry committee  Okay, I have a comment about regulations. There's obviously been some discussion about the reason we're here. They need regulation and the minister's direction. In terms of regulations, do you have a comment about where regulations will enhance or deter or have no impact on competition?

Industry committee  I guess I'm just asking whether the more regulatory the legislation is, the more negatively that affects competition.

Industry committee  I agree, in that certainly the minister is open and would be glad to come to the committee at its request as soon as he's available. That's not an issue. That request could go forward, but I think it should be split into two. I want to support having the minister come and talk about the process he's gone through and why, but I also want to have a second part so that we can have some discussion about the rest of that debate on having all the witnesses coming forward and doing another study.

Industry committee  I will move that amendment.

Industry committee  That the motion.... In fact, it would have been good if we'd had the motion in writing and in front of us.

Industry committee  To split the motion. In the first part, have the minister come forward as soon as possible. Quite honestly, I think the second part of that motion should wait until after the minister is here, to hear what he has to say and the justifications for what he's done. If that isn't the will, then obviously I can't support that second part, but I certainly want to be able to be part of moving ahead and having the minister come forward.

Industry committee  Everything here is friendly.

Industry committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I guess there are a couple of things that I'm struggling to understand. I think all of us, quite honestly, are here to try to do what we can do best for the consumer, not the advocacy groups and not the consumer associations, but the people who actually write the cheques for the services that are supplied every day.

Industry committee  To help us understand when we're hearing these kind of issues.

Industry committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, welcome. One thing we've found is there's a huge diversity across this country. This tour has just been amazing. To Mr. Svendsen, and also to Mr. Scott a little bit, I always love the analogy that we can easily relate to, and it's the golf club and the $150 to the $2,500 value of the copycat one here.

Industry committee  I can see the relationship with that if only you used it, but it goes to those easy copy things and the whole auto sector--

Industry committee  That's really what my point is. It's about protecting those small plastic things, which are integral components of our auto sector, for example, and that's going to be hard. But, man, how do you protect that intellectual property over in Shanghai and in some of these other countries?

Industry committee  It was the same when we arrived.