Small businesses see the merit of a Canadian Consumer Advocate to give Canadian consumers a “voice that matters” in public policy development, according to the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA).

The CJA is the national trade association of the jewellery and watch industry. It responded with a letter to the Consumers Council of Canada strongly endorsing the Council’s call for a new, capable national consumer advocate. The Council made the request in its report Time for a Real Consumer Advocate, which was sent to many senior federal government officials.

“The CJA stands alongside the Council as we support and endorse your goal of ensuring Canadian consumers have a voice at the table of policy development,” wrote CJA chair Gail Golberg. “The CJA agrees with the Council’s statement. The need is urgent to restore and rebuild consumer confidence in the integrity of the marketplace. In our industry, consumer confidence is paramount to the recovery and growth of businesses both now and post the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The CJA noted that its members, mostly small “mom and pop” retailers, rely on serving consumers directly, and said: “Ultimately, it is consumers who drive much of our economy. Give them a voice that matters.”

The Council’s position paper outlines why consumers deserve a national agency with the sole objective to argue for consumers, advance their needs and stress the relationship of the needs to the decision-makers within agencies of government. The government of Canada pledged to create a Canadian Consumer Advocate in 2019. The Council paper argues for a number of possible expansions to the originally outlined advocate responsibilities, including moving beyond just receiving complaints to instead give consumer interests greater representation in policy development.

The report is available for purchase/download at the Council’s online store. A summary is featured on the Council’s related consumer protection initiative page.