New Broadcast Act update appears on order paper as Tories oppose move

The government placed legislation to change the Broadcasting Act on the House of Commons order paper late Monday night, as Conservative Heritage critic John Nater called on the Liberals to abandon plans to reintroduce a modified version of last Parliament’s Bill C-10. The new bill does not yet have a number. “We’re looking to move forward with the Online Streaming Act,” Government House Leader Mark Holland told reporters on Monday, the day before the bill was introduced. “We’re looking at remuneration for Canadian news outlets by digital platforms.” Nater also released the contents of a letter he sent to Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez on Jan. 24 urging him not to put the legislation forward. “Conservatives believe in a level playing field between multi-billlion-dollar foreign corporations and Canadian companies. We also believe that these foreign corporations should pay their fair share in Canada,” Nater wrote. “We believe we can achieve these goals without infringing on the rights and freedoms of Canada. That is why I am writing to you to urge you not to re-introduce the deeply-flawed bill C-10.” In the last Parliament, the Tories fought C-10 tooth and nail, arguing certain provisions would impede free speech. Much of the opposition focused on the removal of an exemption for social media. A statement by Justice Minister David Lametti arguing the bill met challenges to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was dismissed as a “smoke screen” by the Opposition. Nater’s letter quoted opponents of the former legislation, including Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa, former CRTC commissioner Peter Menzies and Cara Zwibel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. All said the past bill threatened freedom of expression. The Liberals, as they were shepherding C-10 through the legislative process, said they welcomed Charter challenges but wanted the bill to be passed as amended. The bill died in the Senate when the September election was called. Nater drew attention to that in his letter to Rodriguez. “Because of the unnecessary and costly election your government called in the middle of a pandemic, this legislation failed to become law. Canadians were saved from this bad legislation that was pushed through by your government without a duty of care to protect and preserve Canadians’ rights and freedoms," Nater wrote. "But that has not stopped your government from persisting and continuing in its desire to see bill C-10 become the law.” At his Monday news conference Holland also addressed the question of an online harms bill. The government announced plans for a Digital Safety Commissioner in the last Parliamentary session but that, too, was swept away by the election call. “Today I’m talking very broadly to give a bit of a sample of some of what we’re dealing with,” Holland told affiliated publication The Hill Times. “This isn’t meant to be exhaustive so I understand there will be specific questions but I can say that there will be information regarding online harms very soon.” He did not commit to a timeline for the introduction of online harms legislation. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

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New Broadcast Act update appears on order paper as Tories oppose move

Broadcast | February 1, 2022

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