THE FUTURE OF CANADIAN CONSUMERISM

Abstract

The modern marketplace has been greatly complicated by technology, making redress for imbalance in consumer relations a serious concern. The author believes that addressing these concerns requires a level of government involvement far exceeding any experienced to date. President Kennedy’s Consumer’s Bill of Rights Message is used as a starting point to identify important consumer legislation and programs adopted by provincial and federal governments. They are discussed with reference to the rights: to safety, honesty, fair agreements, knowledge, choice and privacy, as well as the right to be heard. The article divides the pitfalls of legislation into three areas of concern: unconscionable delay between problems and response, defective or fragmentary drafting, and inadequacy or failure of enforcement. It also discusses interdepartmental conflict within government, access to the courts and other possible remedies, the attraction of consumer education and the need for further law reform.