MP Report – Fighting Internet Censorship: Bill C-11

Every common-sense source says the same thing: Bill C-11 is bad news and should’ve never passed in Parliament. Virtually, nobody with any credibility on freedom of speech is saying that this is a good idea. This bill will regulate online media from services such as Netflix and YouTube, limiting and affecting what Canadians can see online.

The Online Streaming Act wants to highlight and promote Canadian content under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). However, three CRTC commissioners have said that the CRTC should not be governing what Canadians access online. Bill C-11 is a deeply flawed bill. It was forced through an undemocratic process of shutting down debate in the House of Commons and ending witness testimony of dozens of voices. The Liberals forced votes on over 100 amendments without any discussion or explanation. The Government’s approach was both heavy-handed and irresponsible.Thousands of digital-first creators who have found success online are now left with uncertainty about their ability to earn a livelihood.

With the passage of Bill C-11, the future of Canadian creators is far less clear. Legislation of this magnitude deserves at the very least to go through the normal parliamentary procedure; not be bypassed to streamline an ideological agenda.

Conservatives support creating a level playing field between large foreign streaming services and Canadian broadcasters but not at the expense of the individual rights and freedoms of Canadians. This isn’t a done deal yet and we will continue to hold the government accountable. As this bill gets studied in the Senate, I invite you to let your voice be heard by sharing your thoughts on the matter with your Alberta senators. You can find their contact information here: https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/