p44 s1 bill 92 b092 e.pdf

Ontario — Bills

1ST SESSION, 44TH LEGISLATURE, ONTARIO 4 CHARLES III, 2025 Bill 92

An Act to provide for the development and implementation of a plan to establish a consumer watchdog organization Co-sponsors: Mr. T. Rakocevic Ms D. Begum Ms C. Fife MPP C. McKenney Private Members’ Bill 1st Reading December 10, 2025 2nd Reading 3rd Reading Royal Assent

EXPLANATORY NOTE The Bill enacts the Ontario Consumer Watchdog Act, 2025 . The Act requires the Minister, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and the public, to develop and implement a plan to establish an independent consumer watchdog organization that is responsible for overseeing consumer protection matters in Ontario. The Act provides that the plan shall include the steps the Minister intends to take to establish the organization, the powers and duties of the organization, the role of the organization in relation to other regulatory bodies and such other matters as the Minister considers advisable.

The Minister must publish the plan on a Government of Ontario website as well as prepare and table a progress report on the plan in the Legislative Assembly.

Bill 92 2025

An Act to provide for the development and implementation of a plan to establish a consumer watchdog organization CONTENTS

Preamble 1.

Interpretation 2. Plan for establishing a consumer watchdog organization 3. Content of plan 4. Publication of plan 5. Progress report 6. Commencement 7.

Short title

Preamble Consumers should expect to be treated with fairness and honesty by the businesses and other entities that interact with them. However, anti-consumer activities or practices on the part of some businesses and other entities is a real and serious problem in Ontario. Challenges to consumers include price gouging and other forms of unfair treatment, a lack of transparency in the marketplace, products and services that fall short of expectations in t erms of value for money and quality and consumer protection information and remedies that are not available, accessible or reliable.

Consumers must be confident and aware of what protections are available to them when making purchases. Businesses and other entities must help to maintain a fair marketplace for consumers. To ensure both consumers and businesses and other entities know the ir respective rights and responsibilities, it may be necessary to put certain processes in place , including investigating potential predatory and illegal behaviours of businesses and other entities, providing for a consumer complaint s process, imposing penalties and other remedies on bad actors and maintaining a public website on consumer protection matters.

Consumers are increasingly at risk in today’s growing digital economy, facing new and manipulative practices. These tactics can mislead individuals into making unintended purchases or sharing personal data under unfair terms. Data-driven consumer profiling has created conditions for a rigged marketplace where traditional protections are no longer adequate. The establishment of a consumer watchdog organization may fill a gap by serving as a comprehensive consumer protection organization that is dedicated to consumers and that will provide consumers with the confidence that their rights are protected.

A consumer watchdog organization of this type has never existed previously in Ontario, and now is the time to establish one. Therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Interpretation 1 In this Act, “Minister” means the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act. Plan for establishing a consumer watchdog organization 2 The Minister shall develop and implement a plan to establish a consumer watchdog organization that is, (

a) independent of government; (

b) responsible for overseeing consumer protection matters in Ontario; and (

c) established in consultation with relevant stakeholders and the public. Content of plan 3 The plan to establish the consumer watchdog organization referred to in

section 2 shall include the following: 1. The steps the Minister intends to take in order to establish the consumer watchdog organization.

2 2. The powers and duties of the consumer watchdog organization, including: i. Investigating businesses or other entities to determine compliance with consumer protection laws or practices. ii. Investigating and reporting on the unfair activities or practices of sectors or groups of businesses or other entities. iii. Investigating consumer complaints against businesses or other entities submitted to the organization. iv.

Administering penalties to businesses or other entities, determining remedies for consumers or otherwise addressing the failure of businesses or other entities to comply with consumer protection laws or practices. v. Publishing the number of consumer complaints against businesses or other entities submitted to the organization, the number of consumer complaints investigated by the organization and the results of the organization’s investigations. vi. Publishing public reports on consumer protection matters. vii.

Determining whether existing legislation is no longer serving consumers as a result of the legislation being outdated or poorly enforced. viii. Reporting to the Legislative Assembly, relevant committees and ministries regarding matters that directly affect consumers. ix. Educating the public on consumer protection and on how consumers can best exercise their rights and responsibilities. x. Establishing a centre of excellence for consumer protection education that prepares students and all Ontarians to make informed, independent decisions and to exercise their rights and responsibilities as consumers. xi.

Establishing a centre of excellence for consumer policy research and analysis to assist policymakers in assessing the impacts of their policy proposals on consumers. xii. Any powers or duties under any other Acts, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 or the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, which should be assumed under the organization. 3.

The role of the consumer watchdog organization in relation to other regulatory bodies, including a plan to allow decisions of the organization to prevail over decisions of other regulatory bodies in specified sectors or with respect to specified groups of business or other entities. 4. Such other matters as the Minister considers advisable. Publication of plan 4 The Minister shall publish the plan on a Government of Ontario website. Progress report 5

(1) Within six months after the plan to establish a consumer watchdog organization is developed, the Minister shall prepare a progress report on the plan and table the progress report in the Legislative Assembly. Same

(2) The progress report shall include the Minister’s progress in establishing the consumer watchdog organization. Commencement 6 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title 7 The

short title of this Act is the Ontario Consumer Watchdog Act, 2025.

Document details

Collection	Ontario — Bills
Citation	p44 s1 bill 92 b092 e.pdf
Type	bill
Volume / chapter	p44 s1 bill 92 b092 e.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	a6d9c4e78d3cf20473a21be3d573d9a944b49093

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