Speaking Notes given by Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez

Appearance before the Standing Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications - Study of Bill C-11, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (Check against delivery)

Mr. Chair, members of the Committee, good evening.

Thank you for your invitation to appear today to discuss the Online Streaming Act.

First of all, I want to thank this Committee for its work in undertaking a study of this important Bill.

There is no question that we live in a digital world.

The real question, rather, is what do we need to do to ensure that Canada, and Canadians, thrive in a digital world?

Bill C-11 is part of our answer to this crucial question.

The Broadcasting Act has protected and strengthened Canadian culture for several decades.

This Bill will help to clarify that the Broadcasting Act to applies to online broadcasters that deliver the audio and video content that Canadians enjoy every day.

It will give Canadian artists more opportunity and support to create uniquely Canadian stories and music.

It will make those Canadian creations easier to find and access.

It will highlight our diverse culture by supporting francophone, Indigenous and racialized creators.

And it will level the playing field in Canadian media – making sure that online streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus, pay their fair share by contributing to Canadian culture, just like Canadian broadcasters have always done.

It boils down to this: If you benefit from the system, then you must contribute to the system. It’s that simple.

Like many Canadians, and people all over the world, Canadian artists, musicians and creators are moving online to share their voices, their experiences and their stories.

It’s up to us to ensure that those voices, those stories, can flourish online. That Canadians of every kind of diverse background can see themselves in Canadian culture, and that our culture can be shared with the world.

Now, there has been some concern that regulating the Internet will have an impact on free speech and freedom of expression in Canada.

The Government has always been clear that it will never do anything to limit or control the experiences of Canadians online.

Freedom of expression and freedom of speech are fundamental Canadian values. They are protected in the law. They are not in question and they never will be.

I have been blunt about this point many times. And as we move closer to Royal Assent, I will not waver.

So let me be clear once again: Bill C-11 will NOT control what you can or cannot see online. It’s about regulating platforms, NOT users.

This Bill is about updating our regulatory system to make it understood that online broadcasting is within the scope of the Broadcasting Act, and to ensure that the CRTC has the tools it needs to carry out its mandate.

Benefits of the Bill include:

• Greater diversity of perspectives;
• Ensuring accessible and barrier-free programming;
• Aiding the revitalization of Indigenous languages;
• Strengthening the content and production of original French language programs;
• Addressing the specific needs and interests of official language minority communities; and
• Emphasizing diverse and marginalized voices.

These updates are urgently needed to ensure the long-term futures of Canadian artists, Canadian broadcasters and Canadian culture.

They are crucial to the vitality of our economy, our diverse society and our shared national identity.

We must act. Now. And that’s what we’re doing.

So, once again, Mr. Chair, I thank you and the members of this Committee for the careful and deliberate work you are doing as a part of this process.

I’ll be very happy to answer your questions.