New Orleans   Finally, the big-time money transfer organizations and the gazillions in predatory profits for moving money for migrant workers and immigrant families are at least hearing our footprints coming after them in the distance.

Several months ago Ontario NDP Member of Parliament Jagmeet Singh introduced a bill we had collaborated in writing under the provincial consumer protection statutes that would achieve the 5% ceiling on costs related to transfers supported by all of the G-8 countries and the World Bank.  Realistically, since the NDP is the minority party, it is hard to get a bill passed.  In Ontario lobby registration rules require lobbyists to register expressly on which bill or bills they are retained.  Bells and whistles went off for all of us in recent days when two lobbyists, jointly employed by Western Union and Money Mart, registered specifically on our 5% cap bill.

The obvious question was whether or not these slick operators had already started putting the squeeze on the McGinty government on our bill?  In the question period in the Provincial Parliament, MPP Singh asked the questions.  The answer was a non-answer and a classic runaround response, that I will share here with all of you in case for your personal and political enjoyment.

It’s on!

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: My question is to the Minister of Consumer Services. In May, I introduced Bill 98 to stop large companies from charging unfair international money transfer fees. Now we have learned that the two biggest money transfer companies operating in Canada, MoneyGram and Western Union, have registered to lobby both the Ministry of Consumer Services and the Ministry of Finance on this bill.

Has the minister met with these advocates for these powerful companies, and what are they saying to her?

Hon. Margarett R. Best: I thank the member for the question. Certainly, consumer protection is an important issue for our government, and we are reviewing the bill that the member has put forward. As always, we’re reviewing this bill with a view to improving consumer protection in the province of Ontario. It is important to note as well that the federal government has a role to play in protecting consumers with regard to federally regulated financial services.

The ministry continues to analyze the bill, and we continue to look at options to improve consumer protection for Ontario consumers with regard to remittance fees. This is an issue which certainly impacts a great number of people in the province of Ontario, including myself and many of us in this Legislature—I would no doubt think that—and it’s an issue that also impacts many people who are new Canadians, so this is an issue which we find very important to us.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jagmeet Singh: Again to the Minister of Consumer Services: When Ontarians send their hard-earned money to relatives overseas, multinational companies should not be allowed to siphon off as much as they please. Now, powerful US-based companies are fighting against a bill that would protect Ontarians.

Ontarians need to know: Will the minister take action to protect Ontarians from predatory money transfer companies, or will she capitulate to the high-paid lobbyists for these US companies?

Hon. Margarett R. Best: I would like the member opposite to know that this is an issue on which we continue to listen to all the interested parties, all the interested stakeholders, and certainly our consumers in the province of Ontario.

This issue, as I said, is a very complicated issue. There are many complicated factors that require a very thorough review of the bill. Because of the complex nature of this issue, we continue to review this bill carefully, the proposed legislation that has been put forward by the member opposite.

We continue to look at other ways to protect consumers in the province of Ontario, which is an issue which is very important to me and to our government.