Amos presents rural internet motion

CHRIS LOWREY
OTTAWA Feb. 21, 2019
Pontiac MP Will Amos is using one of his most limited legislative tools – the private members motion – to bring more attention to the internet connectivity issues plaguing rural Canadians.
The motion was introduced and debated on Feb. 21.

Members of the House of Commons can only use one private members motion per term, and Amos said it was a no-brainer to choose rural internet for his.
“This is the only motion I get to bring,” Amos said. “I’m investing a lot of political capital in this.”
Amos’ motion argues that internet connectivity is essential for Canadians in the modern age.
“When you have dozens if not hundreds of residents who are still operating on dial up, that’s an inequity that needs to be solved,” Amos said. “And that’s why I keep turning up the pressure on this issue.”
With that in mind, his motion asks that the government continue investing in rural internet connectivity, examine the possibility of further investments, to continue to work with telecommunication companies and various levels of government to enhance rural internet connectivity, and for the government to further study how to improve rural internet service.
Specifically, Amos wants the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology to examine the causes of wireless infrastructure gaps, the regulatory role of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the best ways to incentivize more investments in rural internet services.
He also wants the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to study the public safety implications of wireless infrastructure in rural Canada.
Amos said the timing for his motion is ideal, since the finishing touches are being put on the 2019 budget.
He said the motion is an attempt to bring the issue of poor rural internet services to the attention of his fellow parliamentarians.
“It increases the pressure to examine what legislative opportunities are there to promote universal rural access,” Amos said. He said he plans to mount a “full force lobby campaign” to convince Finance Minister Bill Morneau to increase investments.
With the CRTC Act in the process of being reformed, Amos said now is the time to address different aspects within the act – specifically section seven.
Amos would like to see the CRTC prioritize rural access in the legislation.
Although the connectivity of rural regions is currently listed as an “objective” of the CRTC Act, he’d like to see it become a “priority.”
He’d like to see more binding language that would force the CRTC to prioritize rural internet services instead of merely paying lip service to an objective.
Ultimately, with cell and internet providers weary of investing in infrastructure for rural area, Amos hopes the government can step in to incentivize those investments in the future.
The debate on Amos’ motion continues on April 27.