It was interesting to analyse what Industry Minister Tony Clement did not say yesterday in a luncheon keynote address at IIC [press release and backgrounder here, speaking notes here]
The Minister characterized the 33-page address as a “Marathon speech on dig economy and telecoms” but many have reported that there wasn’t a lot of new information.
For example, Reuters reported that:
Canada will soon start consultations on how to conduct its next auction of radio frequency spectrum while also reviewing foreign investment rules for the telecoms sector, Industry Minister Tony Clement said on Monday.
That isn’t really news. After all, Reuters said pretty much the same thing in a story 7 weeks ago.
As Steven Chase of the Globe and Mail reported, the story isn’t that there will be a decision on foreign ownership; the story was that the decision wasn’t announced yesterday. Why?
Talmudic logic suggests that there must be a message in a text that was appropriately characterized as a marathon. That is what makes reviewing the speech such an interesting exercise in analysis.
There is more than meets the eye in this major address. What are the messages?
“There is more than meets the eye in this major address. What are the messages?”
The cynical implications seem to be a concern with how this policy would effect election results. As you are no doubt aware, there are strong lobbying forces who are against opening the doors, and this has the potential of being a wedge issue. If there are plans to drop the writ sometime soon, delaying this would make sense from a tactical perspective.
I must admit – I’m curious as to what you think “are the messages”? Considering that this particular government has seemingly mastered the art of doublespeak, I find it is often near impossible to figure out the real meaning of things!