Evidence of meeting #22 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crtc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
It was about the financial end and public consultations.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Financially, the government gave us two years of funding to implement Bill C-10, now BillC-11, to do the preparatory work. We've had the first year's funding and will receive the second year's funding shortly, I anticipate, and that is adequate to do the preparatory work. Thereafter, there will need to be a review of the precise budgetary requirements, but it will largely get collected from the fee-payers. That's why I described the regime.
So, yes, we have the necessary funding to do the work we must do right now. I don't know if I've answered your question well.
NDP
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Okay.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
If internally the CRTC is putting together a scope around public consultations and has financial estimates, perhaps you could provide that to the committee after this appearance.
I'm going to move on, because there are lots of questions I have for you.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I will just say that we don't do that, but I can come back to that, if you would, in terms of our putting out notices. That is how we do business. Then we will make determinations whether there's a public hearing required, a paper process, and there will be numerous notices. But our budgeting is one envelope and then we do what we need to do to fulfill our mandate, and part of that is running those proceedings. But we have the resources to do that.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
We talked about enforcement, we've talked about the web giants and the issues of—
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
—things like algorithms and discoverability. Obviously they're linked. What are your thoughts on achieving enforcement if there is not co-operation, and if there are lines in the sand that we've seen from some of the companies, for example, around algorithms, which are an issue worldwide? There are bills before the U.S. Senate that touch on this whole issue of algorithm transparency because of the obvious implications.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Not specifically for algorithms, but in terms enforcement, we have this on the telecom side. You make regulations, you make rules and they must abide by them. If they don't, we have the ability to proceed with administrative monetary penalties and that's what I envisage our doing on the broadcasting side.
Right now, ultimately the only tool we have is to withdraw someone's licence, which is a crude and ineffective instrument. We will have the ability to “encourage”—I'll call it that—parties to comply with our regulations, because we will fine them, so to speak, using administrative monetary penalties.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
I would encourage us to wrap this round up, please. The time is up. Then we are going to move into a second round. I think starting that round for the Conservatives for five minutes is Kevin Waugh.
Rachael Thomas Lethbridge, CPC
Thank you.
On the topic of Bill C-11, I see that part of what's in front of us with regard to these estimates is an increase in spending allowance of 5.5% in order to bring amendments into play with regard to the Broadcasting Act.
Do you find it odd that the terms “program” and “programming”, which give the CRTC the ability to regulate of course, are not clearly defined in Bill C-11?
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I did not bring one of our legal counsel with us today—and Scott may want to add to this—but they're defined, so to speak, as well as they are in the Broadcasting Act today.
Lethbridge, CPC
Okay, so you would take the definition that exists in the current Broadcasting Act and apply it to Bill C-11.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
It depends on the ultimate content of the legislation. That's in your hands, not ours.
Lethbridge, CPC
Are you comfortable with the amount of discretionary power that would be put in your hands with regard to Bill C-11 and regulating programming?
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
To be honest and sincere, yes, we are.
We're a regulatory agency. We're an experienced overseer, if you will, of the broadcasting sector, and it's a successful sector. I honestly and earnestly don't accept the criticism that we're not prepared or able, because it's simply not true, in my view.
Lethbridge, CPC
But Mr. Scott, there is a new chair being searched for right now because that is deemed necessary to modernize the CRTC. Is that not correct?
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
No. With respect, a new chair is being sought because my term ends in September. It's a five-year term and no—
Lethbridge, CPC
But it has been stated by the minister that it's necessary in order to see the modernization of the CRTC.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I'm not quite sure—