Canadian Heritage Committee on May 3rd, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

I call the meeting to order.

Welcome back, everybody. Happy Monday to all.

There are a couple of very important points I want to start with before we get into the gist of what we're doing today.

Welcome to meeting number 29 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, February 16, the committee resumes clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-10, an act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, which we certainly are used to by now. I guess it's been over a year. I think we can call it that. As you know, there are a couple of rules to point out to everybody. They're not official rules in the book, but nevertheless they help us in our committee.

First, try to avoid talking over each other. If you want to get my attention, you know how to do it on the side here. Just raise your hand electronically. If you're not hearing interpretation or you're not getting the volume or you're not hearing the speaker, you can do that, or just wave your hand to get my attention if something technical goes wrong. If that happens, please get my attention, and obviously we'll try to fix it.

We've had some technical difficulties from the Ottawa side of things. I've had a few difficulties of my own with sound. I don't want to alert the IT people in Ottawa. This is a thing that's originating from my office here in Grand Falls-Windsor in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We have to address something that is extremely important to this committee, and we have to do it, I think, right away. It won't take too long, but we really have to wish a happy birthday to the member for Drummond, Mr. Champoux.

Happy birthday, Mr. Champoux.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Indeed.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Is it your 35th birthday today, Mr. Champoux? ^x

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

No, it's my 34th.^x

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Happy birthday again, sir.

(On clause 7)

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Now, on Bill C-10, we last dealt with amendment G-10 and we're now going to deal with amendment G-11. There is just a quick note about G-11 that I want to bring to everybody's attention. If G-11 is adopted, amendment BQ-22 cannot be moved due to a line conflict.

I'll go to the speakers list, starting with Ms. Dabrusin.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am moving amendment G-11. This builds on the ownership clauses that we were working on earlier, and it would allow the CRTC to obtain ownership information from all types of undertakings. Bill C-10 as it was originally drafted didn't account for corporate structures such as co-operative trusts or partnerships, so this would allow for that broader ability to take into account different corporate structures.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Go ahead, Ms. Harder.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Chair, I actually want to move a dilatory motion that we would—

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Ms. Harder, I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll be just one second.

I have to deal with amendment G-11 first because it was just moved by Ms. Dabrusin.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

However, I'll keep your name up there, because once we deal with G-11, then we can discuss....You're dealing with a motion that has nothing to do with G-11, correct?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I understand that, yes. Once G-11 has been dealt with, would you like me to raise my hand again, or would you like to just...?

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

You can raise your hand or I'll circle back to you. Is that okay?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

On amendment G-11, I'll go to Mr. Rayes.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like the experts among us to explain the impact of this amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Go ahead, Mr. Olsen.

[Drew Olsen, Senior Director, Marketplace and Legislative Policy, Department of Canadian Heritage]

Thank you. Thank you for the question, Mr. Rayes.

The current wording in Bill C-10 would have allowed the CRTC to obtain ownership information related to corporations that hold licences, but there are some ownership structures out there that are not corporations, such as partnerships and trusts, so we are just trying to make sure this doesn't unintentionally limit the CRTC's ability to get ownership information from licensees that may not be corporations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Is there any further discussion on G-11?

Seeing none, we'll go to a vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

As G-11 is now adopted, BQ-22 cannot be moved because of a line conflict.

Ms. Harder, you have the floor.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that.

I have a quick question before moving on to the motion that I wish to move.

On Friday, when we were in the midst of debate on the motion that was on the floor at that time, one of the members of the committee, Ms. Dabrusin, raised her hand. She put forward a dilatory motion that brought debate to an end. At that point in time, you said that because it was a dilatory motion, it superseded debate, and all other hands that were raised were not called upon. Just a moment ago I attempted to move another dilatory motion, and I was told the motion at hand needed to be taken care of first.

I'm wondering why on Friday a dilatory motion took precedence, but today it doesn't.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

It's for the simple reason that we had started the debate. Obviously we had commenced debate on that one, so things had to shut down and we had to dispense with it.

Are you saying that you have a dilatory motion now?