Over the course of the summer, our federal regional minister for British Columbia and Minister of Industry, the Honourable James Moore, has made several announcements that will have a direct impact on folks here in the Okanagan.
Removing Barriers to Internal Trade
Canada has been successful in pursuing an ambitious international trade strategy, but progress on domestic trade has not always kept pace. That is why Minister Moore recently announced One Canada: One National Economy, a plan that lays out a broad proposal to remove barriers to internal trade. You can visit www.ic.gc.ca/internaltrade to learn more.
As one of the premier wine regions in Canada, we are familiar with the ongoing efforts to encourage freer trade between the provinces and territories so that Canadians across the country can enjoy our award-winning wine. While there has been movement from provinces like Manitoba and Saskatchewan, it is still easier for Canadians to access wine from the US or France than from our own country.
At a time when Canada is entering into new trade agreements around the world that seek to eliminate irritants and barriers to international trade, our Government is determined to eliminate domestic regulation that leads to increased and unnecessary costs for our businesses, and limits growth and job creation.
Minister Moore, on behalf of the Government, is committed to working with the provinces and territories to bring about a better agreement and begin the essential work of renewing internal trade.
I support the Minister in this endeavour and look forward to hearing more about the progress made as the federal, provincial and territorial governments work together to achieve freer internal trade for the benefit of all Canadians.
Connecting Canadians
More and more, access to the Internet is essential to creating jobs, realizing economic opportunities, and linking Canadians to online services, as well as far-off family members and friends.
That is why Minister Moore recently announced Connecting Canadians, the Government of Canada’s plan to bring high-speed Internet to 280,000 Canadian households, mainly in rural and remote communities.
Between now and 2017, the Government will invest up to $305 million to extend access to high-speed Internet at 5 megabits per second (Mbps) to 98 percent of Canadian households, and will provide incentives for the private sector to invest in wireless and wireline Internet services in areas of the country where they currently do not exist.
By ensuring rural and remote communities have access to high-speed Internet, the Government is taking important steps toward giving all Canadians the chance to take full advantage of Canada’s digital economy.
For more information on your connectivity or to provide feedback on service in your area, please visit the Connecting Canadians website (www.ic.gc.ca/ConnectingCanadians).
Ending Paper Billing Charges on your Telecom Bill
Minister Moore has also recently announced that the federal government will introduce legislation to end pay-to-pay billing practices in the telecommunications sector.
Canadian consumers have been clear that they expect lower prices and better services from telecommunications providers. That is why our government committed to ending this unfair practice and putting the interests of Canadian consumers first.
As the Minister noted, "More and more Canadians are finding a new charge appearing on their monthly bills, including their wireless bill. This fee is charged to those who receive their bill in the mail. Increasingly, many Canadians are being charged this new fee by companies from whom they have been receiving service for decades. We do not believe that Canadians should pay more to receive a paper copy of their telephone or wireless bill.”
In the 2013 Speech from the Throne our government committed to end this unfair practice and to continue to promote policies that support Canadian consumers putting more money back in the pockets of hard-working Canadian families.
I want to congratulate the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry on a productive summer and for working on behalf of British Columbians and Canadians across the country.
Ron Cannan is the Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country and welcomes your feedback at [email protected]. Information on local announcements and federal government programs can be found at www.cannan.ca.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.