This bill was last introduced in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2021.
Steven Guilbeault Liberal
In committee (Senate), as of June 29, 2021
(This bill did not become law.)
This is from the published bill.
This enactment amends the Broadcasting Act to, among other things,
(a) add online undertakings — undertakings for the transmission or retransmission of programs over the Internet — as a distinct class of broadcasting undertakings;
(b) update the broadcasting policy for Canada set out in section 3 of that Act by, among other things, providing that the Canadian broadcasting system should serve the needs and interests of all Canadians — including Canadians from racialized communities and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds — and should provide opportunities for Indigenous persons, programming that reflects Indigenous cultures and that is in Indigenous languages, and programming that is accessible without barriers to persons with disabilities;
(c) specify that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the “Commission”) must regulate and supervise the Canadian broadcasting system in a manner that
(i) takes into account the different characteristics of Indigenous language broadcasting and the different conditions under which broadcasting undertakings that provide Indigenous language programming operate,
(ii) is fair and equitable as between broadcasting undertakings providing similar services,
(iii) facilitates the provision of programs that are accessible without barriers to persons with disabilities, and
(iv) takes into account the variety of broadcasting undertakings to which that Act applies and avoids imposing obligations on a class of broadcasting undertakings if doing so will not contribute in a material manner to the implementation of the broadcasting policy;
(d) amend the procedure relating to the issuance by the Governor in Council of policy directions to the Commission;
(e) replace the Commission’s power to impose conditions on a licence with a power to make orders imposing conditions on the carrying on of broadcasting undertakings;
(f) provide the Commission with the power to require that persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings make expenditures to support the Canadian broadcasting system;
(g) authorize the Commission to provide information to the Minister responsible for that Act, the Chief Statistician of Canada and the Commissioner of Competition, and set out in that Act a process by which a person who submits certain types of information to the Commission may designate the information as confidential;
(h) amend the procedure by which the Governor in Council may, under section 28 of that Act, set aside a decision of the Commission to issue, amend or renew a licence or refer such a decision back to the Commission for reconsideration and hearing;
(i) specify that a person shall not carry on a broadcasting undertaking, other than an online undertaking, unless they do so in accordance with a licence or they are exempt from the requirement to hold a licence;
(j) harmonize the punishments for offences under Part II of that Act and clarify that a due diligence defence applies to the existing offences set out in that Act; and
(k) allow for the imposition of administrative monetary penalties for violations of certain provisions of that Act or of the Accessible Canada Act.
The enactment also makes related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will vote in favour of the motion.
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Mr. Speaker, the NDP agree to apply and will be voting in favour.
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will be voting no.
Derek Sloan Independent Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and I will be voting yes.
Yasmin Ratansi Independent Don Valley East, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and I will be voting no.
Marwan Tabbara Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and I will be voting in favour.
Ramesh Sangha Independent Brampton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and I will be voting nay.
(The House divided on Motion No. 10, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Mr. Speaker, I was waiting to be acknowledged on the previous vote. When that did not happen, I raised my hand to be acknowledged. I was voting for the previous motion.
The Speaker Anthony Rota
We have finished the vote. We have to have unanimous consent.
I just want to remind hon. members to raise their hands to be acknowledged. It does not just happen. I have to be aware that they are in the chamber or here virtually.
Could the hon. member for Vancouver Granville clarify if that was a yea or nay? The table just wants to confirm.
The Speaker Anthony Rota
The question is on Motion No. 4. A vote on this motion also applies to Motions Nos. 6, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20 and 21.
The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it you will find consent to apply the results from the previous vote to this vote, with Liberals members voting yea.
