PODCAST · government
We fight for that
by John Lawford, Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
Episodes
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From Plow to Pantry: Monopoly in the Canadian Food System
"Canadians bearing the increased cost of living are familiar with the lack of competition in retail grocery, where decades of consolidation have left only a handful of national firms. But the issue of monopoly extends beyond the grocery aisle and throughout the Canadian food system. This report...
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The Big Fix
Geoff White, PIAC's new Executive Director and General Counsel interviews authors Denise Hearn and Vass Bednar about their eye-opening new book, "The Big Fix", which reveals the extent of Canada's inability to get competition in Canada right. Canadians pay too much, have limited market choices,...
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CRTC Gone Astray - Part 2 with Monica Auer
In this, the second instalment of PIAC's series on the 'CRTC Gone Astray', Monica notes that the CRTC has abandoned data collection, and its public disclosure and has not measured results in implementing the new Online Streaming Act (which amends the Broadcasting Act), which means it is…
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CRTC Gone Astray - Part 1 with Ted Woodhead
PIAC introduces a new series of podcasts on why the CRTC has gone all funny in the last few years and why no one is laughing. Our first instalment sees Ted Woodhead, the regulatory 'face of the Rogers-Shaw merger', joining the podcast to give his very experienced take on the challenges faced by…
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Geist in the CRTC Machine
NOTE : apologies for a mistake about what the Broadcasting Act actually says about affordability. Also, please follow Prof. Geist's podcast: Law Bytes . We recap the inaugural appearance of Professor Michael Geist, law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair...
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Post-Rogers-Shaw: A New Hope?
Well, we are back after a long hiatus (sorry, stuff going on in Canadian communications!) to survey the competitive landscape after the Rogers-Shaw deal closed in Spring of 2023 - two years and 15 days after being announced. We speak with George Burger, Chief Operating Officer, about the Canadian...
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A Christmas Scarol - Competition Tribunal on Rogers-Shaw
This episode recounts the dramatic, rapid decision(s) of the Competition Tribunal allowing the merger of Shaw and Rogers (with divestment of Freedom Mobile to Videotron) and why that is weird, appealable, and not a good sign for Canadian wireless and other telecommunications markets. Ben Klass...
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Wireless Wind of Change?
We return to look at the Rogers-Shaw deal and possible different solutions than the divestment of Shaw's wireless business to Videotron (Quebecor) - solutions that might include a "maverick" once and future(?) independent wireless competitor, Globalive, best known as the operator of WIND Mobile...
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Bill C-27: Privacy, only worse
We discuss Bill C-27, the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, Personal um, something AI and a tribunal, I think? It does not matter, because the federal government took the last bill ('the other' Bill C-11) to try to replace the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)…
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Black Swan or Red Friday? The Rogers Outage in Context
Black swans, red dawns and consumer pawns. I had a longer summary but the Internet ate it. Not typing this again. Just listen. Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/
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CRTC Decision on CBC N-word Complaint
NOTICE TO LISTENERS: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES A RACIAL SLUR (BUT WE DON'T USE IT) We also note both commenters are racially white and do not pretend to be able to speak to systemic racism, except in general terms and that this episode is not intended, even indirectly, as a collateral attack on the...
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Fixing Bill C-11 for Consumers - Part 2 with Scott Benzie
PIAC discusses Bill C-11 - the "Online Streaming Act" with Scott Benzie of Digital First Canada, a group representing Canadians making user-generated content on social media and related platforms. We discuss PIAC's proposal of "statIc" versus "dynamic" discoverability as a method to reach a...
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Fixing Bill C-11 for Consumers - Part 1
PIAC discusses, once again, Bill C-11 - the "Online Streaming Act" which is an Act to Amend the Broadcasting Act, to, among other things, require "Internet broadcasters" to be registered under Canadian law and contribute to the creation of "Canadian content" or more simply, "CanCon". We recap...
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De-Crypting Cryptocurrencies for Consumers
Guarav Arora, University of Ottawa Master's student in the law department and recent tech law intern at PIAC, sits down to describe, and in some cases to defend against the host, cryptocurrencies (and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in general) and their derivative products like...
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Clearing Communications Consumers Complaints: CCTS with Howard Maker
We interview Howard Maker, Commissioner of the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) about the Canadian ombudsman service that helps Canadians - for free - to resolve their consumer complaints with Internet, wireless (cellphones), home phone and paid TV services. You...
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CRTC Bad Series: What's the Hold Up? with Geoff White
In this first of several podcasts on troubles with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), we concentrate on the CRTC's egregious slowness in both running regulatory proceedings (both broadcasting and telecommunications) and in releasing its decisions after these...
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The Promotion of Competition
Competition in Canada is enforced by the Competition Bureau of Canada. In this episode, we discuss all things competition in Canada and how it can be promoted with Anthony Durocher, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Promotion Branch at the Competition Bureau of Canada. First up, possible reform of...
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Investment Complaints: OBSI is your one-stop shop
Sarah Bradley, the Ombudsman and CEO of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) discusses how OBSI can help consumers resolve investment disputes in Canada. OBSI (https://www.obsi.ca/) is the single independent ombudsman service if you cannot resolve your complaint with your...
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Banking Complaints: Roadmap or roadkill?
PIAC's articling student, Rene Kimmett, guests on this episode to explain how consumers can complain about banking services to their own financial institution and to third-party resolution services - yes, there are two "external complaints bodies" in Canada - OBSI and ADRBO. No need for that -...
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Where would you like these lumps of coal?
This episode recaps the major consumer set-backs of 2021, which, during a pandemic, are inexcusable. We cover three terrible CRTC decisions that will make your wireless phone and home Internet connections much more expensive. We cover a mega-merger that will raise prices and reduce choice. We…
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C-10: The Legal Issues - Online Conference Preview
Returning champ Monica Auer visits to preview PIAC and FRPC's online conference, "C-10: The Legal Issues". Please register for this free webinar on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm ET More information and registeration are found here:...
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SIM-swap Hide and Seek with Randall Baran-Chong
We explore the Canadian wireless industry's best-kept secret (with CRTC help): their problem with SIM-swap fraud! Randall Baran-Chong, Co-Founder of Canadian SIM-swap Victims United (CSSVU) joins PIAC to explain his personal experience with fraudsters switching his cell service to a new SIM-card...
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The Internet Affordability Revolution will not be Subsidized with Shelley Robinson
The CRTC's recent reversal of its wholesale internet rates decision will impede small non-profit Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Ottawa's community-centred National Capital Freenet (NCF). Shelley Robinson, NCF's Executive Director, joins PIAC's ED John Lawford to break down the CRTC's...
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Whole lotta wholesale with Andy Kaplan-Myrth
We discuss the CRTC's disastrous decision on wholesale internet rates from late May 2021 with Andy Kaplan-Myrth, VP Regulatory of Teksavvy, a well-established wholesale-based Internet service provider and its effect on Teksavvy, other wholesale-based ISPs, the market, consumers, the rest of the...
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Airline Bailouts = Consumer Refunds! We won! with Tahira Dawood
Consumers in Canada are now eligible for refunds for flights cancelled due to COVID-19 from two airlines and more are likely to be added soon. Our guest this episode is Tahira Dawood, PIAC's second articling student and former researcher at PIAC (and she is also a foreign-qualified lawyer and...
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Klass Consciousness: CRTC MVNO decision, telecom socialism & Shaw-Rogers deal with Ben Klass
Will the CRTC's recent decision on mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) provide new wireless competition in Canada? We discuss this in excruciating detail with Ben Klass, PhD Candidate and telecom policy wunderkind. The answer: not likely, sorry. This likely result leads the conversation to...
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Rogers-Shaw Merger - Part 2 - Discussion with Konrad von Finckenstein
John Lawford, PIAC's Executive Director and General Counsel welcomes special guest Konrad von Finckenstein, PIAC's current Chair of the Board, to work through options the Competition Bureau, the CRTC and the Industry Minister could have to modify the deal to preserve at least some competition. In…
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Rogers-Shaw Merger - Part 1: Anatomy of a Merger
John Lawford, PIAC's Executive Director and General Counsel, explains merger review in Canada in light of the proposed Rogers-Shaw merger. What fun. Competition law basics are described but the real process of applying them to a deal by the Competition Bureau and the parties is covered, along…
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The Epic Battle for Your Privacy with Yuka Sai
PIAC's articling student, Yuka Sai, joins John Lawford to discuss the epic battle between business, with an assist from the federal government, and consumers over privacy. This battle centres on Bill C-11 and in particular, the part called the "Consumer Privacy Protection Act". This doublespeak...
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Broadcasting and Why it Matters to You with Monica Auer
The CanCon is coming! The CanCon is coming! Or not. Today we discuss Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, phew! Today's guest Monica Auer, Executive Director of Canada’s Forum for Research and Policy in Communications…
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What the heck is wholesale with Matt Stein
Wholesale regulation of Internet (and wireless, maybe?) is fundamental to competition in Canadian telecommunications services. We give a short lecture on the concept and then interview Matt Stein, CNOC President and Chairman, and Distributel CEO, to bring listeners up to date on recent disputes...
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Mystery Shopping with Marina Pavlovic - Your Internet Mileage May Vary - Mea culpa COVID appa
We interview Marina Pavlovic, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa and member of its Centre for Law, Technology and Society about the CRTC's recent "mystery shop" of communications services in Canada. We also talk about another CRTC report...
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Intro to PIAC - Am I Going Crazy? - PIAC's COVID Alert app CRTC Application explained
"We fight for that" - is the new podcast from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) focussing on consumer protection in Canada. This first episode includes an introduction to PIAC, asking and answering why you, as a Canadian consumer, keep asking "Am I Going Crazy?" when you have a problem...
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Trailer: We fight for that.
Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). Make a donation to PIAC, right now, through Canada Helps: https://www.piac.ca/become-a-donor/
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
HOSTED BY
John Lawford, Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
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We fight for that currently has 34 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
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We fight for that has 34 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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We fight for that is created and hosted by John Lawford, Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
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