With mere weeks remaining in Ian Scott’s term as chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), one telecom expert has said his tenure has proven “disastrous for public confidence” in the regulator.
“I think it’s been disastrous for public confidence at the CRTC at the very time that the government wants to hand over even greater power to the regulator,” said Michael Geist, who serves as the Canada research chair in internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa.
Review of Ian Scott’s tenure as CRTC chair. My takeaway:
“I think it’s been disastrous for public confidence at the CRTC at the very time that the government wants to hand over even greater power to the regulator”https://t.co/woCnMRBRie— Michael Geist (@mgeist) November 28, 2022
Geist’s comment about Ottawa wanting to give more power to the CRTC referred to the controversial Bill C-11 (aka the Online Streaming Act) and Bill C-18, both of which are designed to give the telecom watchdog more authority over online media.
Scott, who is a former Telus VP, called Geist’s criticism of his tenure a mischaracterization. He said that his commission’s approach has been to consider all the evidence with an unbiased and thorough eye.
“Whatever decisions you make, there are always winners and losers,” Scott said. “Death and taxes are unavoidable. Maybe so is criticizing the regulator.”
Scott’s term was originally supposed to end back in September. However, the feds extended it until January 4, 2023, to find a suitable replacement, which they still haven’t managed to do.
While Scott’s predecessor, Jean-Pierre Blais, was widely known as pro-consumer, Scott didn’t follow in his footsteps. Scott wanted to be neither “pro-consumer” nor “industry shill.” Instead, he wanted to be known as “pro-public interest.”
Scott’s term as CRTC chair has also been turbulent for businesses, featuring two heavily contested decisions regarding business dealings between independent telecom operators and incumbents.
One of these was the CRTC’s decision to overturn its own 2019 ruling that reduced wholesale broadband rates, sending them soaring back up to 2016 levels and leading to higher consumer internet bills.
Another was the CRTC’s decision on mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which required the incumbents to share their networks with regional operators who owned their own spectrum and infrastructure.
When asked if there was anything he would have done differently during his term, Scott confidently said there wasn’t. “No. We believe they’re the best decisions, based on those records,” he said.
“I’ve taken the high road with respect to public commentary. I don’t bite, I don’t debate and I don’t engage in petty arguments.”
Activists and even people within the federal government would disagree, however. “The fact is that the CRTC, in the last five years, has drifted along completely rudderless,” said John Lawford, executive director of Canada’s Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
Scott’s term as CRTC chair has often been criticized for being ineffective and taking too long with decisions. In a draft policy directive issued in May, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada instructed the CRTC to promote competition and make decisions and activities more clear, timely, and effective.
Check out The Globe and Mail‘s story for a recap of Scott’s career.
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If Ian Scott doesn’t want to be criticized, maybe he should have not done so many asinine things to warrant the critique.
He never said he “didn’t want to be criticized.” On the contrary, he brushed off the criticism; saying his actions were “being mischaracterized.” He probably thinks that appearing to have complete confidence in his decisions is a sign of a great leader.. ie doesn’t second guess himself, seizing opportunity etc etc. The minions simply don’t understand the complexities of his decisions because they don’t have the mental capacity or experience or access to the privileged information that he has..blah blah
It seems he just doesn’t give a turd when Canadians criticize his decisions. He claims to be taking the “high road” by not engaging in debate with his critics.
IMO, this level of arrogance is a necessity for a successful executive in a private, for-profit corporation where profits and revenue are the ultimate measure of a leader’s decisions. But it is the antithesis of someone appointed to a position of public trust where one’s decisions are judged with less quantifiable factors.
Whether his decisions turn out to be good or bad for Canadians, only time will tell…It takes time for macro level policy decisions to trickle down to having a noticeable impact on everyday Canadians’ lives. He however, will likely never get credit for anything good…his personality and standoffishness have all but guaranteed the legacy of his tenure.
If there’s a stronger word than disastrous he should have used it as disastrous probably doesn’t quite capture how people feel about him and the CRTC in general.
Scott, who is a former Telus VP
——
Honestly, we really expect Scott to go pro-consumer after making a career at Telus?
Isn’t this like getting the fox to watch the hen house?
For whatever reason, iPhoneinCanada is purposely being vague about his VP position while at Telus.
He was a VP of Federal Government & Broadband Policy, or in layperson terms, head of lobbying.
He’s even registered as such @
https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=482®Id=478255From his actions as chair, it’s clear that your latter statement is a near perfect observation/analogy of his tenure.
It does give one pause and wonder “is the system that broken that allows the worst possible candidate to assume the helm at the CRTC or are we that gullible and naive”?
For whatever reason, iPhoneinCanada is purposely being vague about his VP position while at Telus.
He was a VP of Federal Government & Broadband Policy, or in layperson terms, head of lobbying.
He’s even registered as such @
https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=482®Id=478255From his actions as chair, it’s clear that your latter statement is a near perfect observation/analogy of his tenure.