November 23, 2022

The Justice Centre filed a memorandum with the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications denouncing Bill C-11, which would grant the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) power to control virtually all streaming platforms and audio-visual content uploaded on thereon.

The memorandum contains 5 amendments proposed by Justice Centre lawyers, that, if implemented, will protect Canadians from the worst aspects of C-11.

Keith Pridgen of the Justice Centre remarked, “I am sure the CRTC cannot wait to begin censoring the government’s dissenting political opponents on the internet – a power it could wield if C-11 is passed in its current form. At best, C-11 is an ill-informed and out-of-touch attempt to regulate the internet like traditional media. Canadians do not need any help from the government to find online content that is sufficiently Canadian.”

Senator Leo Housakos, the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications, has gone on record saying: “The Trudeau government’s attempts to circumvent the democratic process and ram through flawed censorship Bill C-11 with no discussion or debate should outrage every Canadian. The Senate must and will conduct a full and transparent study of the bill.”