The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, made the following statement:
“Canadian consumers must be treated fairly and have access to the resources they need to make informed decisions.
“To that end, we strongly support the timely development of paper billing rules for all communications services, and we recognize the important work under way at the CRTC to develop such rules.”
“In 2019, we issued a binding direction to the CRTC on promoting competition, affordability, consumer interests and innovation. This direction included the enhancement and protection of consumer rights, including those related to accessibility, when it comes to consumers’ relationships with telecommunications service providers.
“On June 1, 2020, the Governor in Council (GIC) received a petition from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation seeking to rescind or refer back for reconsideration a CRTC decision related to paper billing requirements for Koodo and wireless providers.
“In its decision, the CRTC determined that, while Koodo was not violating any existing rules, important concerns related to consumer access to paper bills had been raised. As a result, the CRTC launched a broader proceeding to examine whether paper billing requirements should be developed not only for wireless services but also for phone, Internet and television services.
“The GIC has carefully considered the matter, and it recognizes that access to paper bills is an important issue for consumers. The GIC has determined that rescinding or referring back the Koodo decision would only delay the CRTC’s current work to develop rules for all communications services. We are confident that a comprehensive solution that is in the best interests of Canadian consumers will be found in a timely manner, in accordance with the existing policy direction.”