Finance committee  In our opening remarks, we talked about the right to repair. We explained that in reality, it can be difficult to repair a lot of products, because you need specialized tools and the parts are difficult to obtain. Our fear is therefore that the provision requiring that a means of diagnosis and repair can be readily supplied might mean that a lot of products are exempted from this new obligation.

Finance committee  Thank you. Bill C‑59 proposes a number of amendments to the Competition Act. One of the amendments proposes to provide a form of entitlement to a remedy by allowing the Competition Tribunal to require that a business supply a means of diagnosis or repair for a product, if the means can be readily supplied.

Industry committee  An amendment that takes into account the best interests of the child would force us to consider the best interests of the child in all stages of the design of a new toy, from its design to its marketing, and in all subsequent decisions related to a child's personal information.

Industry committee  First, the proposed amendment to section 12 talks about the sensitivity of personal information that is collected, used or disclosed. There are other stages in the life of personal information where the best interests of the child should be taken into account, such as access to, retention of, or destruction of that information.

Industry committee  As is the case with Bill 25, in Quebec, we propose that consumers who have been the subject of a decision made by an automated system be able to go to the company that used that system in order to make their case and to ask that the decision concerning them be reviewed by a human from that company.

Industry committee  Currently, Bill C-27 would allow someone to obtain on request an explanations of automated decisions. We propose that this should go further, somewhat as you explained with the Quebec example. First, it may be difficult for consumers to determine whether a decision concerning them was an automated decision.

Industry committee  Our second concern relates to flaws in relation to children's privacy. Those flaws are still present despite the amendments announced at the start of the consultations. Although Bill C-27 recognizes the sensitive nature of minors' personal information, we believe it does not go far enough to really protect children's privacy.

Finance committee  Hello, Mr. Chair and committee members. We thank you for offering us the opportunity to present our comments today. My name is Sara Eve Levac and I am a lawyer with Option consommateurs. I am joined by my colleague Carlos Castiblanco, who is an economist and analyst. Option consommateurs was created in 1983 and is a not-for-profit association whose mission is to help consumers and defend their rights.

Finance committee  In fact, Bill C-56 provides that the Competition Bureau may ask a court to make an order to obtain information. In other words, it does not have the autonomous power to compel a witness to give testimony or provide information. We believe that this could cause delays in a market study inquiry, when Bill C‑56 provides for a maximum of 18 months for that type of study.

Finance committee  We believe that as an independent body that has the power to oversee the state of competition, the Competition Bureau must have a comprehensive view and should be able to initiate an inquiry or market study autonomously, if it believes there is a competition problem in a sector.

Finance committee  In addition to our recommendations regarding the powers of the Competition Bureau, another of our recommendations would be to repeal the efficiencies defence for anti-competitive agreements as well, not just for mergers.

Finance committee  Right. At the international level, to my knowledge, that defence does not apply to anti-competitive agreements. If that defence is being repealed for mergers, we do not understand why it should be preserved for anti-competitive agreements, since that kind of agreement can have negative effects on competition.