Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. CEO Jay Forbes met with three cabinet ministers and the head of Canada’s telecommunications regulatory body over the last five weeks, according the federal lobbying registry. MTS chief executive Jay Forbes communicated with Finance Minister Joe Oliver on March 3, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais on Feb. 18, Industry Minister James Moore on Feb. 17, as well as Winnipeg MP and Heritage Minister Shelly Glover on Feb. 6, according to the registry. Telecommunications and broadcasting are cited at the topics of discussion in all four communications reports. The...
Telus Corp. communicated with high-ranking members of the federal government in October, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the company’s health-care operations, according to the lobbying registry. The Oct. 2 contact was one of only three that Harper had with lobbyists in the entire month, the Lobby Monitor reported Wednesday. Telus executive chairman Darren Entwistle is the company official registered in the lobbying activity, though it does not necessarily mean he communicated directly with Harper. Telus is also listed as communicating with Finance Minister Joe Oliver about infrastructure, telecommunications, and taxation and finance, and Heritage Minister Shelly Glover on broadcasting, industry and health, as well as with several other members of Parliament....
Much has been made this week about the practice of levying extra fees for the privilege of getting a physical bill for telecommunications services, and some industry watchers are downplaying the...