That's correct.
Evidence of meeting #25 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 content.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #25 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 content.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Today you came and testified, “we have received some funding from our industry partners, including platforms and private industry involved in the success of digital creators.” Which one is it?
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I'm just waiting for you to pause so I can answer the question.
There is a really bad echo.
6 p.m.
Liberal
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I have had conversations with your department, with the minister's department, with Canadian Heritage, and I have been very open about the fact that we received some funding from our platform partners. I don't think I said we didn't in my question. I did say that it's mostly volunteer. Eighty per cent of the revenue in Digital First Canada comes from Buffer Festival, which is our money.
6 p.m.
Liberal
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
This is really shocking to me. This is almost like starting a union but taking money from management. This is an extreme conflict of interest. You are, on one hand, saying that you represent the best interests of individuals, but you're taking money from the organizations. We've heard from witnesses that three-quarters of Canadians who are eligible to receive money from these platforms receive zero dollars, yet you're taking money for a status quo.
How is this not an extreme conflict of interest?
Back to my original point, were you lying to this committee when you first appeared?
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I don't see how it's any different. We take no government funding, and everybody here in support of the bill is deeply invested in government funding and supporting the government's bill. I don't see how it's any different—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Benzie, you are now a registered lobbyist. Have you informed the lobbying commissioner that you're taking money from TikTok and YouTube when, on one hand, you're claiming to represent digital first creators?
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I filled out all my lobbying stuff as well as I could.
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
When you filled it out, did you inform the lobbying commissioner that you are taking money from American and Chinese tech companies?
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I actually don't remember, to be honest. I'm being very honest. I don't remember.
May 30th, 2022 / 6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Based on that, and we talked about it last time you were here, in all of your social media, in all of your advocacy, you are pretty much just anti-C-10 and anti-C-11. You don't advocate for better working conditions and you're taking money from tech giants. Why should we listen to anything that you have to say, especially in light of the fact that the vast majority of Canadians on these platforms are making zero dollars, and 60% of those who are eligible are making less than $10,000, which is far less than traditional artists? You're representing a system that—
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I want to make sure I have an answer, just time to speak.
6 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I appreciate your checking out our social media, and I look forward to the government's support of Digital First Canada's road to freedom, where we're going into indigenous communities to help indigenous youth. To that point, creative output is not an issue. There are tons of people creating online for many different reasons. Some of it is monetary and some of it is not. I look forward to the government's position on what kinds of programs we can put in place to help digital first creators, and I look forward to you actually addressing the issues that I've brought up with the bill. You seem to have a lot of issues with me—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Benzie, it's hard to address the issues when you're coming here to represent—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
—digital first creators, yet you're taking money from TikTok and YouTube, where TikTok doesn't even pay its artists anything. Everyone here around this table acknowledges that digital first creators are artists, and part of this—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
I'll just finish my point then.
Mr. Benzie, you're taking money from a company that is paying its artists zero dollars. It is a foreign-owned company that is paying Canadians zero dollars—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
This is my time, Mr. Benzie.
You think they should pay their artists. Then why are you representing them and taking money from these companies at the same time?
