A Canadian Consumer Advocate
Consumers Council of Canada has recommended the Government of Canada act swiftly to keep its commitment to create a new agency to rebuild consumer confidence and protect consumers – the Canadian Consumer Advocate.
Governments Must Re-focus on Protecting People
Canadians are quickly learning how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed shopping, working, health care and their economic prospects. A safe marketplace has never been more important. Consumer confidence and fair market practices are critical to Canada’s economic recovery. Canada needs a plan – and fast – to restore both.
A National Agency for Consumers
Canadian consumers deserve a national agency that has the sole objective to argue for consumers, advance their needs, and stress the relationship of those needs to the decision-making processes within agencies of government.
The economy is for consumers, not just producers. The federal government should expand its current plan for the Canadian Consumer Advocate to ensure it is an independent agency answerable to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. The Advocate should be capable of promoting meaningful engagement with and on behalf of consumers.
Constant, Capable Advocacy Needed to Protect Consumer Protections
Canada needs its government to keep the promise it made in 2019 and hold ministers accountable for the mandate given to them to establish the Canadian Consumer Advocate and ensure it can capably protect consumers’ interests.
Related Publications
Time For A Real Federal Consumer Advocate – This report by the Consumers Council of Canada highlights the reasons and benefits for expanding the role of the Government of Canada’s proposed Canadian Consumer Advocate beyond receiving complaints. It argues the government needs to address the present patchwork and isolated responses to consumer needs and vulnerabilities, which will not meet the challenges consumers face in a post COVID-19 economic recovery, and beyond.
Consumers Council of Canada Parliamentary Submission: Federal Budget 2021 – A submission to the Standing Committee on Finance of the Parliament of Canada by the Consumers Council of Canada in response to its pre-budget consultations concerning the 2021 federal budget.
Super Complainers: Greater Public Inclusiveness in Government Consumer Complaint Handling – This research reveals consumer views on third-party consumer complaint management systems (consumer complaint handling systems operated by entities other than private-sector businesses) and their receptivity to alternative systems where greater transparency, and consumer advocacy group participation is encouraged.
A ‘Sustained Institutional Role’ for Consumer Organizations in ‘Internal Trade’ Harmonization – This research found the Canadian public expects well-resourced consumer groups to be part of any stakeholder process attached to negotiations among the federal and provincial governments concerning internal trade.
News About Consumer Representation
Complaints About Wireless, Internet Service Keep Rising
Canadian consumer complaints about their telecommunications services continue to rise, according to the annual report of the industry’s dispute resolution service. The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS) reported a 35% increase in consumer...
Supreme Court of Canada decision keeps big companies from thwarting class action
An effort by a a long list of powerful consumer electronics companies to prevent certification of a class action lawsuit against them for price fixing has been rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada. Consumers Council of Canada, represented by Harrison-Pensa LLP,...
Canadian consumers eager for innovative approaches to resolving marketplace problems
Canadian governments can better handle consumer complaints and work more capably with consumer organizations, to promote and protect consumer interests, new research by the Consumers Council of Canada found. Resources at many consumer protection regulatory agencies...
Panel reports investor representation at risk at new securities regulator
Efforts to secure adoption by Ontario’s securities industry of a ‘best interests standard’ to protect investors – especially small retail ones – have fallen short but have resulted in some improvements in expected sales practices, concludes the just-released 2018...
Council gets a seat at “Finpay”
Don Mercer, president of the Consumers Council of Canada, has been made a member of the Finance Canada Payments Consultative Committee – known as "Finpay" – for the next two years. Finpay is a consultative committee made up of public- and private- sector stakeholders...
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