OTTAWA – A coalition of Canadian cultural organizations announced Thursday that they want intervenor status in an application to the Federal Court for judicial review of the federal government’s decision to licence wireless telecom Globalive.
The application, made jointly by ACTRA, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), and Friends of Canadian Broadcasting ,was to be considered by the Federal Court in a hearing on Thursday morning in Ottawa.
The group is seeking leave to intervene in the case brought against the federal government by fellow wireless startup Public Mobile that is arguing that the federal government cannot excuse Globalive from the Canadian ownership requirements of the Telecommunications Act. In its application, the trio accused the federal government of acting unlawfully when it decided to licence Globalive by failing to consider the key purpose of the Telecommunications Act which is to ensure telecommunications plays a key role in maintaining "Canada’s identity and sovereignty".
The coalition’s announcement comes as the House of Commons Industry committee holds hearings on Canada’s telecom foreign ownership rules which were sparked by the Globalive issue and a reference to possible changes in Canada’s telecom foreign ownership rules in the recent Throne Speech.
