The Globe and Mail features two major articles today that involve Industry Minister Maxime Bernier which demonstrate that current choices are all about politics, not principles. The first indicates that Bernier plans to scuttle the CRTC's revised VoIP decision, the "first time in years a Minister intervened to overrule a CRTC decision." In this article, Bernier is lauded as "a staunch advocate for free markets", which might lead some to believe that principles are forcing the Minister to make this move. Yet the second article indicates that Bernier and the Conservative government plan to honour a $260 million commitment to help Bombardier develop a new jet. This article again notes Bernier's preference for free markets, but acknowledges the real driver behind the decision – "the government, with an eye on the next election, is also being careful not to alienate vote-rich Quebec, where a large chunk of Canada's aerospace industry is located."
The Free Market Champion
November 15, 2006
Share this post

Law Bytes
Episode 257: Lisa Given on What Canada Can Learn From Australia’s Youth Social Media Ban
byMichael Geist

February 9, 2026
Michael Geist
Episode 256: Jennifer Quaid on Taking On Big Tech With the Competition Act's Private Right of Access
February 2, 2026
Michael Geist
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 255: Grappling with Grok – Heidi Tworek on the Limits of Canadian Law
January 26, 2026
Michael Geist
December 22, 2025
Michael Geist
December 8, 2025
Michael Geist
Search Results placeholder
Recent Posts
Time for the Government to Fix Its Political Party Privacy Blunder: Kill Bill C-4’s Disastrous Privacy Rules
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 257: Lisa Given on What Canada Can Learn From Australia’s Youth Social Media Ban
Court Ordered Social Media Site Blocking Coming to Canada?: Trojan Horse Online Harms Bill Clears Senate Committee Review
An Illusion of Consensus: What the Government Isn’t Saying About the Results of its AI Consultation
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 256: Jennifer Quaid on Taking On Big Tech With the Competition Act’s Private Right of Access
