June 3, 2011 12:15 PM

Christian Paradis delivered his first public speech yesterday [May 31, 2011] as Industry Minister at the Canadian Telecom Summit.

The media and attendees may have been hoping for a sense of the Paradis perspective on many digital economy issues (telecom, foreign ownership, spectrum, digital economy strategy, copyright), but what they got was a very slightly modified version of former Industry Minister Tony Clement's digital economy speech from November 2010. That includes the government's yet to be fully articulated position on telecom foreign investment and the forthcoming spectrum auction.

Several reports from the speech have focused on these telecom issues, suggesting that government is sounding "more ambiguous and indefinite" on telecom foreign investment. I don't see it - the government has been saying the same thing for months. For example, the Globe points to this comment from Paradis calling for a:

predictable regulatory framework that ensures an appropriate balance between competition and investment

as evidence that lobbying from incumbents has had an impact on Conservative thinking.

That may be true, but it isn't new. In his November 2010 speech, Clement, commenting on digital infrastructure, stated:

that requires having a predictable regulatory framework that both supports competition and promotes the growth of successful telecom companies that will build the bulk of the infrastructure.

As for foreign investment and other spectrum issues, Paradis stated:

As part of an integrated regulatory approach to the spectrum auction, we continue to examine tower sharing and roaming and foreign investment. Foreign ownership, meanwhile, remains an important piece of this puzzle, and one that I am personally committed to getting right.

That might sound ambiguous, but in November 2010, Clement said:

how spectrum is allocated and who is eligible to compete for it — and pay for it — are interrelated issues. And so we will consider foreign investment rules and decisions around the 700 MHz auction together, as part of an integrated regulatory approach. While I was consulting, it became clear another important element of the regulatory framework is the issue of tower sharing and roaming.

The similarities don't end there. Both speeches say roughly the same thing (in the same order and often with the same words) on broadband, growing the ICT sector, and other digital economy issues. The speech also makes a commitment to reintroducing Bill C-32, but that is taken directly from the Conservative platform.

None of this should come as a surprise since Paradis was just named to the portfolio and the Speech from the Throne isn't scheduled until Friday
. I don't think there is a hidden agenda here - talk of an integrated regulatory approach means addressing spectrum and foreign investment at the same time and both will happen in 2012. Analysts may try to read between the lines to determine policy direction, but the significance of the speech does not lie there. Rather, the fact that Paradis gave the speech at all - choosing to focus on the digital economy for his first public event as Industry Minister - is the real story along with how it stuck to the same themes, policies, and structure as Clement. For those looking for big changes with the change in Industry Minister, the message for now is to expect more of the same (without the tweets).

Originally posted on Michael Geist's Blog

Blogger Profile: Michael Geist

Dr. Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. Dr. Geist has written numerous academic articles and government reports on the Internet and law and was a member of Canada's National Task Force on Spam. He is an internationally syndicated columnist on technology law issues. He is an internationally syndicated columnist on technology law issues.

Posted by Sue Ansell at June 3, 2011 12:15 PM

Categories: Digital economy strategy Economic development Canada

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