Senators continue fight over Streaming Act and CBC’s future

The battle over the government’s Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11, continued in the Senate’s Question Period Tuesday. Senator Leo Housakos, the chair of the Transport and Communications committee, claimed that the CBC is going to move to an all-digital format. “How much of the CBC’s current funding is being inappropriately allocated toward these efforts to circumvent the conditions of the very licence that provides that public funding?,” the Conservative senator asked. “Will your government do the right thing and freeze funding until this practice ceases by the CBC?” Senator Marc Gold, the government representative in the Red Chamber, corrected Housakos and said the crown corporation is not planning to move to full streaming in the near future. Those who rely on the CBC through radio and television will continue to have that option, he stated. “This is a conversation about the future of broadcasting and the CBC that the government expects to have in the years to come,” he added. “But for the time being, the government will continue to ensure that the CBC/Radio-Canada maintains its reputation as a world-class national broadcaster and that it continues to serve Canadians.” Housakos then turned his attention to a letter Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez sent to new CRTC chair Vicky Eatrides. In the letter, Rodriguez urged her to protect Canadians’ rights to free expression when C-11 is passed. “Senator Gold, the minister responsible for your government’s online censorship bill, Bill C-11, has written a letter to the chair of the CRTC, whom the minister himself had just appointed, expressing concerns that his bill could be used to infringe on freedom of expression. Shocking,” the Quebec senator said. “The bill is still before Parliament, so I’m not so sure why the minister would write a letter instead of just writing something in the actual bill to protect against the very thing we have been raising concerns about all along, which is the trampling of the freedom of expression.” Gold dryly responded that C-11 was “the gift that keeps on giving, doesn't it, Senator Housakos.” “The government’s position has always been that the law is not a censorship bill, despite how many times you keep repeating it, senator. Moreover, anything that we pass in Parliament is subject to the terms of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There has been no ‘notwithstanding’ clause invoked in Bill C-11 or in any other bill this government has introduced,” the government representative replied. The bill has passed third reading in the Senate and now moves back to the House of Commons where MPs must deal with amendments from the Senate committee. Rodriguez expects the bill to receive Royal Assent within days. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@gmail.com

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Senators continue fight over Streaming Act and CBC’s future

Broadcast | February 8, 2023

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