In fact it's not. The communications policy is very clear: advertising is one way that the Government of Canada fulfills its obligation to communicate with Canadians about its policies, programs, and services, and the like. In the section on advertising, it's actually very clear. The choices are made by departments. Departments are not to use advertising in a way where it shows a preferential choice for a particular supplier. It goes without saying that media relies on ad revenues as their primary vehicle for sustaining their business. The Government of Canada policy is quite clear that it is not a socio-economic tool, so there are no considerations given to that at all.
On November 1st, 2016. See this statement in context.