(OTTAWA) Quebecor President and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau on Wednesday denounced the “toxic and Machiavellian tactics” employed by Telus to try to undermine Videotron’s purchase of the wireless telephone operator Freedom Mobile belonging to at Shaw Communications. It has pledged to reduce rates in Western Canada if the deal is approved.
He attacked the Fox project, a lobbying offensive put forward by Telus to influence officials in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, among others. The senior executive of Quebecor was in the federal capital in the afternoon to defend this transaction in the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology of the House of Commons.
Pierre Karl Péladeau also denounced the proliferation by Telus of “recourse to the courts, underhanded disinformation campaigns and intensive lobbying efforts” to fuel the opposition parties and accused the telecommunications company of “alienating the West Canadian against the East. »
“Yes, we are going to reduce the rates,” he answered a question from Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire. Mr. Péladeau, who once led the Parti Québécois, gave the example of his Fizz division in Quebec, which offers lower prices for cellular and internet plans. He promised to lower prices in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.
Quebecor reached an agreement with Rogers and Shaw in August for the purchase of Freedom Mobile. This acquisition is linked to the merger of the latter. Rogers wants to acquire Shaw for $26 billion, including $6 billion in debt. The telecom giant agreed to sell Shaw’s Freedom Mobile subsidiary to Quebecor later for $2.85 billion. The deal would see Quebecor buy all of Freedom Mobile’s wireless and internet customers, as well as its infrastructure, spectrum and outlets.
Its competitors Telus and Bell fear that this transaction will harm competition in the telecommunications market. However, the Federal Court of Appeal on Tuesday rejected the Competition Bureau’s challenge to the merger between Rogers and Shaw.
Their senior leaders also defended this transaction in parliamentary committee on Wednesday. The last word will go to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, François-Philippe Champagne.
With The Canadian Press