January 13th, 2023
Liberals are standing by while cellphone giants make huge profits off of Canadians
NDP Innovation, Science and Industry Critic Brian Masse made the following statement on Canadians' sky-high cellphone bills:
“Cell phones and the internet are more than a luxury. They are necessary for people to communicate with loved ones, for school or work. But most Canadians are paying hundreds of dollars a month for barebone cell plans, all while costs keep rising. It’s wrong.
Canadians pay some of the highest telecom costs in the world. Instead of defending consumers, the Liberal government is just letting them soar even higher. Justin Trudeau has the ability to lower these costs, but he keeps quiet while ultra-rich corporations make huge profits off Canadians. And the Liberals are just letting the market get even worse with the Rogers-Shaw merger.
The Liberal's “ask nicely” strategy when it comes to fighting for fairness for Canadians isn’t working. Canadians deserve a government that's fighting for them.
New Democrats are calling for the government to protect and ramp up competition in the telecom sector in Canada and to put a price cap on basic cellphone plans – so Canadians can get better access at better prices.”