Bill C-400: Use of cash as currency

I had the privilege today to rise in the House of Commons and table my Private Members Bill, Bill C-400 for a Framework on the Access to and Use of Cash.

Our economy, like all economies, is driven by the exchange of goods and services, or in other words, commerce.   Typically the settlement for that exchange is currency.

In a world where commerce is rapidly moving towards plastic, online, and digital currencies, many Canadians, including many in my riding of Provencher, are concerned about their ability to access and use cash as currency.

For millions of Canadians, particularly the most vulnerable folks in our population, physical cash is essential to everyday life.

Likewise, charities, community organizations and remote communities rely on cash to achieve their worthy goals.

Finally, in a world where governments, banks, and corporations are increasingly infringing on the privacy rights of Canadians, cash remains the only truly anonymous form of payment.

This Bill calls for a National Framework to ensure continued access to and use of cash in Canada.

It amends the Currency Act to limit the Minister’s ability to arbitrarily and unilaterally call-in banknotes, and the Bank of Canada Act to ensure the central bank oes not develop, or replace hard currency, with a digital dollar.

This common-sense legislation will benefit vulnerable Canadians the most, but also those who work so hard to support them.

Copy of the Bill found here: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-400/first-reading

If you would like to provide your suggestions on my Private Members Bill, please comment below:

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