Open Letter to Canadian Senators
June 25, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Red Deer – Mountain View, AB
Dear Senators,
I am writing regarding Bill C-10: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act. I ask the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications to stand up for democracy and free speech in Canada.
I ask that you thoroughly examine and debate C-10 as this process was denied by Members of Parliament in their rush to pass the Bill before the end of the spring sitting of Parliament. Numerous outstanding concerns about the Bill have now been silenced by the Liberal government and important amendments from all political parties will not be considered, much less voted on.
C-10, as it stands, grants inappropriate powers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to influence our audio-visual content on online platforms, including user-generated YouTube videos and podcasts. Discoverability broadcasting regulation afforded to the CRTC gives the regulator the power to decide which content is promoted or buried on our social media feeds. Big Tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter already engage in this practice, resulting in censorship of views they do not agree with.
I ask that you speak with concerned digital creators who were unable to appear before the House of Commons Heritage Committee, even though the Liberal government used them in messaging to promote the Bill. Please speak to legal experts, such as Michael Geist, who are questioning the legality of the Bill. Please address the definition of “Canadian creator” to ensure no one’s voice is ignored. Lastly, please thoroughly investigate the free expression implications that result from empowering the CRTC to pick winners and losers online via discoverability regulation.
Members of Parliament failed in their responsibility to thoroughly vet this Bill. I ask that you be the voice for concerned Canadians and not let Bill C-10 become law.
This type of legislation is something you would expect to see in a Communist state. We need less regulation in Canada, not more. This is not what good governance looks like. Bill C-10 is not Canadian.
Sincerely,
Jared Pilon
Libertarian Party Candidate for Red Deer – Mountain View, AB