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“The Broadcasting Participation Fund allows PIAC and FRPC, and many other consumer groups to protect consumer interests in broadcasting at the CRTC.  Without it, the consumer voice on upcoming legislation on regulating internet speech, news, media mergers such as Rogers and Shaw, the CBC’s licences and the regulation of online shows will be silenced,” stated John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of co-applicant PIAC.

The application highlights the precarious nature of the support of public interest advocacy in broadcasting, before the CRTC, and the importance of continuing support of the consumer voice.  It also notes that there will be a long transition to the major reforms of broadcasting in Bill C-10, which Parliament is presently considering and which will require considerable public participation to implement fairly for all.

Monica Auer, Executive Director of co-Applicant FRPC noted: “The issues that face Canadian broadcasting in the 21^st century are too important to be decided without the informed public input that organizations such as PIAC, the Forum and others provide.”
“The CRTC recognized some years ago that the BPF was crucial to a balanced and reasoned debate on broadcasting matters touching consumers every day,” added Lawford, “we are just asking that this be continued as we set the new rules for broadcasters.”

For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director/General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
285 McLeod Street – Suite 200
Ottawa, ON  K2P 1A1
jlawford@piac.ca
613-562-4002 ext 125 [new!]
Fax 562-0007
Cell: 613-447-8125
https://www.piac.ca
@CanadaPIAC
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The Application requests that the CRTC ensure that all Canadian cellphone and Internet companies’  involvement in potential or actual linkages of information from contact-tracing apps to confidential telecommunications information held by cellphone and Internet companies for public health purposes is done in accordance with privacy requirements of Canada’s telecommunications law.

PIAC Executive Director John Lawford stated: “Now we know how COVID Alert and ABTraceTogether work, PIAC sees a potential personal information “leak” if the government uses info from the apps to ask cellphone companies for more information on users. The CRTC must set out rules limiting any such access requests by the government to protect Canadians’ privacy.”
A previous Application was filed by PIAC with the CRTC requesting oversight of pandemic “contact-tracing” apps and network services that may be offered for Canadians to download to their smartphones on 4 April 2020 but was suspended by the CRTC).
Lawford noted that consumers who are concerned about government access can take the practical step of using a virtual private network app while operating the COVID Alert and ABTraceTogether apps: “Using a VPN on your phone will allow Canadians to use these apps worry-free and still help combat COVID-19. But what really would help Canadians trust these apps are clear legal rules to limit any possible government access to personal information.”

For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director/General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
285 McLeod Street – Suite 200
Ottawa, ON  K2P 1A1
613-562-4002 x 25
Fax 562-0007
Cell: 613-447-8125

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by the Law Foundation of Ontario

Name and Location of Organization:
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
200-285 McLeod Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 1A1
For Articling Year: 2020-2021
Deadline for Application: May 21, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
Interviews the weeks of: June 3rd – 7th and June 10th – 13th, 2019
Offers will be made: June 14, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. (EDT)
Description of Organization and Areas of Law:
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) was federally incorporated in 1976 as a non-profit corporation and has charitable status for tax purposes. The organization’s purpose is to provide representation, research and advocacy on behalf of those elements of the public interest that would otherwise be unable to be adequately heard before courts, tribunals, and decision-makers. PIAC has tried to focus its mandate on issues arising from the delivery of important public services including telecommunications, broadcasting, competition law, energy, financial services, and transportation. PIAC seeks to represent and advocate on behalf of ordinary consumers, in particular vulnerable consumers, concerning the rates, policies, rules and regulations associated with the delivery of these services with a view to ensuring principles of access and affordability and fair treatment for the constituencies it tries to serve.
PIAC’s work takes a variety of forms. First, the lawyers of PIAC represent organizations whose membership serves our target constituencies before boards and tribunals where the industries delivering such services are regulated. These organizations include the Canada Without Poverty (formerly NAPO), the Vulnerable Energy Consumers Coalition, the Consumers Association of Canada, the Ontario Council of Senior Citizens Organizations, National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation, Option consommateurs, Union de Consommateurs, and Rural Dignity of Canada among others. PIAC’s most significant commitments for such representation occur before the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) where PIAC lawyers will be full participants in administrative proceedings including the presentation of evidence, cross-examination of witnesses and the making of submissions.
Because the delivery of the public services touches upon consideration of other important legal and policy matters, PIAC has also developed expertise and is frequently involved in funded and unfunded work (approximately 20% of PIAC’s work is unfunded) representing its constituencies in competition law and practice, electronic commerce, privacy, multilateral agreements, and general issues of consumer protection.
PIAC carries out its work outside the hearing room in numerous ways. Its extensive studies and reports associated with the above are published and distributed to policy makers and the general public through its web site. PIAC staff participates in discussions with government officials, other industry stakeholders, other public interest communities, as well as groups representing its own constituencies to attempt to secure rights, rules, policies or consensus that will advance the interests of the communities that PIAC serves. PIAC frequently attends before parliamentary and legislative committees to pursue these same goals in legislation. Finally, PIAC’s staff are active in attempting to present in the media, a coherent defense of those communities’ position when the delivery of important public services are in issue.
Description of Responsibilities:
(a) Research and writing on legal and policy issues to support studies and reports of the Centre;
(b) Research and writing to support regulatory interventions in tribunals;
(c) Assistance and attendance with PIAC counsel for tribunal work, meetings with government officials and presentation before parliamentary committees;
(d) Participation in discussions of advocacy strategy and position with Counsel and counsel’s clients
Salary/benefits: $51,000 for the articling term, Medical and Dental plus paid vacation
Application includes:
 Resume
 Cover letter
 Undergrad transcripts
 Law transcripts
 Letters of reference
Applications should be addressed to:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
200-285 McLeod Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 1A1
Email to: dbrady@piac.ca
** Please note: We no longer accept faxed applications.
Students will be interviewed during the week of June 3rd – 7th and the week of
June 10th – 13th, 2019 with a view to extending an offer on June 14, 2019.
This position has been made available through The Law Foundation of Ontario Public Interest Articling Fellowships program.

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OTTAWA – A new research report by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) shows that there are high consumer risks associated with the use of alternative currencies (referred as “cryptocurrencies” in the report). PIAC’s study indicates that consumers lack knowledge about the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, affecting their ability to make well-informed decisions.

PIAC’s research shows that cryptocurrencies in their present form also are of little relevance for the average consumer as functioning payment systems. Cryptocurrencies today suffer from a litany of woes resulting from their current design limitations, which affect their speed and potential volume of daily transactions. Cryptocurrencies’ level of acceptance as payment systems by both consumers and merchants consequently remains low.

“Consumers should generally avoid cryptocurrencies as payment mechanisms or investment vehicles until regulators can make enough sense of the area to ensure basic financial consumer and investor protection,” stated John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel at PIAC.

There is no secure system to reimburse financial losses, and no secure storage mechanism. The cryptocurrency exchanges remain effectively unregulated from a fiduciary or a consumer protection perspective, with no financial security guarantees. Given their volatility, and unpredictable swings in value, cryptocurrencies presently also remain of limited practical use and relevance to the average consumer as a payment system and, as speculative investment vehicles, present extreme consumer risks.

Our research shows that several jurisdictions are moving towards imposing strict regulatory frameworks; however, at the time of writing, no clear and comprehensive framework could be identified in the context of payment systems. Central banks are found to be unwilling to accept the idea of cryptocurrencies operating as mainstream payment systems. The idea of a central bank issued digital currency, also known as a CBDC, has been analyzed by several central banks. However, at this time it does not appear that any central bank would engage in the issuance of a CBDC in the foreseeable future, although the benefits of such a currency for consumers, if it were to be proven to be feasible, could be substantial.

“It is surprising to see central banks’ apparent reluctance to issue a CBDC, considering the advantages it may hold for consumers in the near future,” noted Tahira Dawood, PIAC’s Policy and Research Analyst.

The report identifies an imminent need for raising consumer awareness, regarding the risks associated with the use of these currencies. It recommends consumers to exercise caution when dealing with cryptocurrencies, either in form of payment systems or as investment vehicles. The report recommends the creation of a working group of key stakeholders within Canada to review and address consumer risks in this space. The report also recommends that the Canada Revenue Agency consider introducing a simple, easy to understand guide for consumers concerning the tax issues arising from cryptocurrencies.

To view the report in English, please see the following link.
To view the report in French, please see the following link.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has received funding from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Contributions Program for Non-profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or of the Government of Canada.
For more information please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Tel: 613-562-4002 x 25
jlawford@piac.ca

Tahira Dawood
Policy and Research Analyst
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Tel: 613-562-4002 x 23
tdawood@piac.ca

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