Canadian Heritage Committee on June 14th, 2022

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm pleased to tell Mr. Nater that I actually do support this amendment. This one I agree with, based on what he said. I'm hopeful that everyone else will agree with me, since I took the liberty of saying that.

I do have one amendment, which would be that it should read, “Canadian programs” and not “Canadian online undertakings”. “Online undertakings” are defined in Bill C-11 as “online undertaking means an undertaking for the transmission or retransmission of programs over the Internet for reception by the public by means of broadcasting receiving apparatus”.

I hope it would be considered a friendly amendment just to change “online undertakings” to “programs”.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Madam Chair, I would accept that as a friendly amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

We have a subamendment to Mr. Nater's amendment. Speaking to the subamendment or discussing the subamendment is Ms. Hepfner.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Madam Chair, I had a similar suggestion to Mr. Housefather's, so I will pass and say I would also support that subamendment and then the general amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much, Ms. Hepfner.

Mr. Champoux.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Madam Chair, I believe that Mr. Nater accepted the friendly amendment from Mr. Housefather. I don't know if we need to debate it given that the proposal was accepted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is that what the committee wishes to do?

(Subamendment agreed to)

(Amendment as amended agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

We will move next to amendment NDP-1.3.

Mr. Julian, for the record, go ahead.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I want to say that there were a number of stakeholders who spoke to this issue as well, so it's important to ensure that in the system, and in Bill C-11, we:

(iii.11) provide opportunities to Black and other racialized persons in Canada to support them in reaching their full potential by taking into account their specific needs and interests, namely, by supporting the production and broadcasting of original programs by and for Black and other racialized communities,

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Julian. I think you wanted that to be added after line 40 on page 4.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

All right, is there any discussion on this issue?

Go ahead, Martin.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have absolutely nothing against the idea of promoting the growth and visibility of racialized communities and individuals. I'm only acting in good faith, but I wonder why we need to specify one racialized community over the others. Aren't we opening the door to other, equally justified requests that may come from other racialized communities?

Later in our bundle of amendments, there are two that address this same request in a more general and inclusive way, in my opinion. They are CPC‑3 and G‑2, which is being proposed by Mr. Coteau. These amendments are much more inclusive and they don't target any group in particular.

My question is for Mr. Julian. Personally, I find that we have other amendments written in a more general and inclusive way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Would you like that addressed to the legislative clerk Mr. Méla or to the department, Martin?

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

My comment was more directed at Mr. Julian. I wanted him to be aware of my intentions regarding this amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

All right.

Therefore, Mr. Julian, go ahead.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Members will recall that the witnesses also asked that we talk about opportunities for Black and other racialized people. That was the preferred wording for the amendment. I find the other amendments very good as well, but we were specifically asked to word an amendment in such a way that it would “provide opportunities to Black and other racialized persons in Canada to support them in reaching their full potential”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Peter.

Are there any other hands up, Clerk?

[The Clerk, Ms. Tina Miller]

Yes. We have Mr. Coteau. Mr. Julian did have his hand raised after that, and then Mr. Waugh. We have two others—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Julian just spoke, so I will go to Mr. Coteau and Mr. Waugh, and then Mr. Julian can wind up.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Could I speak, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, Mr. Coteau. The floor is yours.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you so much.

I want to thank the member for bringing the amendment forward. I understand the intent of the actual amendment. I would just, as a friendly suggestion, maybe take out the words “reaching their full potential” and just have something like, “provide opportunities for Black and other racialized persons in Canada by taking into account their specific needs and interests”.

There are many Black Canadians and racialized Canadians who have reached their full potential and who have done extraordinary things in culture and arts sectors in this country. I just think that may undermine some of that success. I think just providing the support is good enough, but not putting “reaching their full potential”. That's just a friendly suggestion.

If it's accepted, it can just be friendly. If not, I can just move a subamendment to it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Peter.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair. These amendments, as you're aware, come from stakeholders. I'm very agreeable to amendments and also agreeable to the fact that there are a couple of other amendments that endeavour to accomplish the same thing.