The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) singles out the federal government’s decision to allow banks to choose their own arbiters of client disputes as one of key consumer issues facing Canadians, and calls on consumers to become more active in public consultations on these sorts of issues.
Friday is World Consumer Rights Day, which the PIAC says represents an opportunity to mark the improvements made on behalf of Canadian consumers over the past year, and the many challenges they still face. Among the major challenges, it points to “the evolving issue of allowing multiple consumer banking arbitration services”; along with the implementation of anti-spam rules; implementing the report of Task Force for the Payments System Review, and improving the relationship between consumers and their wireless providers.
“In the year to follow, PIAC intends to continue shining a light on issues that concern Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” said PIAC research analyst, Jonathan Bishop.
The PIAC also said that it encourages Canadians to become more engaged in public consultation processes on these sorts of consumer issues when those opportunities present themselves.
“A strong consumer movement is required to educate decision makers and to provide counter-arguments to positions by industry, if those positions are seen to be detrimental to consumers. Consumers can assist themselves by their greater participation in consultation processes,” added Bishop.