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.
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives agree to apply and will be voting in support.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the results of the vote, and we will indubitably vote in favour.
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Mr. Speaker, the NDP agree to apply and, along with our leader, the member for Burnaby South, will be voting yes.
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will be voting no.
Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply and will be voting yes.
Derek Sloan Independent Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will be voting yes.
Marwan Tabbara Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will be voting no.
(The House divided on Motion No. 22, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
moved:
That Bill C-10, an act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts, as amended, be concurred in at report stage with further amendments.
The Speaker Anthony Rota
If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I declare the motion carried.
Pursuant to order made earlier today, the House will now proceed to the third reading stage of this bill.
