Stephen Harper - Can you hear me now?

Why do I feel that Canada's Wireless companies are not being treated fairly but instead are just fodder to feed a hidden Conservative agenda? This is the same party that destroyed Canada's aviation industry with the dismantling of the AVRO Arrow and I fear that is the intent of what they are now doing to Canada’s successful wireless companies. All the messages from the "Harper Government" and the ads about their "Economic Action Plan" appear to be an attempt to shift the balance of power and control to Western Canada, and to destroy anything of value in Central Canada and make sure we never recover. In contrast to these ads, not everyone in Canada can work or even wants to work for an oil company or in Natural Resources exploitation.

 The time has come for the "Harper Government" to stop beating up successful Canadian companies who offer competitive products in a thriving marketplace. Being successful and making a profit in Canada is not a crime - at least not yet. Parachuting super-rich American companies in to snap up the jewels in telecommunications may provide rich retirement jobs for ex-government employees and politicians, but the long-term legacy will be fewer high-paying jobs for average Canadians, permanent loss of valuable resources which, because of free trade, can never be recovered and the eternal shame of being the worst government in Canada's history governed by the crassest ignorant fools and bigots.

Offering Verizon, a company that has more than FOUR TIMES MORE SUBSCRIBERS than all Canadian wireless companies combined, a preferential treatment because they won the purchase rights for the "poor me" bankrupt wireless startups, who prefer discounting to profits, will do nothing to improve competitive conditions in Canada. Verizon are not the lowest price wireless carrier in the States, and I doubt they would want to have that reputation in Canada. But with one foothold in Canada and one in the USA, they would be in a unique position to offer North American wide plans with no roaming fees in Canada or the USA. While this is not significant for most, it is HUGE for the crème-de-la-crème business and frequent traveller customers. Take these high value customers away from all of Canada's carriers and you are left with 3 former successful companies fighting over the scraps that are left. They will become the discount carriers filling the slots abandoned by Wind and Mobilicity, and will ultimately end up in the same place - bankrupt or taken over by larger foreign companies when the Canadian government is forced to loosen ownership rules again to keep the Wireless industry afloat.

It's not right and it’s not fair. And if we have learned anything from the AVRO Arrow fiasco, THE CONSERVATIVES DO NOT KNOW BEST.

Why is there such urgency to get this done now? Is the Harper Government afraid of losing the next election and wants to get this done as their legacy before Canadians get fed up and throw them out of power? For a government that preaches non-interference and has reduced regulation and government oversight in all areas where most Canadians would consider such oversight crucial, why is there such a focus on dismantling and destroying the Wireless incumbents where more regulation seems to be unnecessary and cumbersome? Isn’t THIS what adds cost to our wireless bills?

Verizon doesn't need special treatment. For Canadian companies to be treated fairly, government policies must be changed so that incumbents can compete on a level playing field. Canadians voters deserve nothing less from their government. All MP's have to be outspoken advocates against a biased policy that will kill Canadian jobs and ultimately reduce competition and increase prices. We also need to tell the truth about Canadian wireless pricing, which is every bit as competitive as prices in the USA. If we were all truly concerned about high prices, we would be buying cheaper talk and text cell phones only, limiting our calls to emergencies and then do our Internet surfing and sending emails on a home computer using much cheaper cable internet connections. But Canadians, in spite of complaining about high wireless prices, continue to stampede to Smartphones with high data usage costs, like lemmings over a priceless cliff. Only then is the damage really felt.

 So let me ask the Harper Government - Can you hear me now?

I didn’t think so. Perhaps they should all get cell phones with microphones only and no earpieces since listening doesn’t seem to be a requisite skill for Harper Government politicians.

Can you hear me now?