Thank you, Chair.
Chair, I just wish to make the point that I believe that the point is noble, in the sense that more attention is desired and more celebration is wanted around those who are part of a minority group in Canada, and I think we should want those individuals to have greater access. What should be noted is that what we heard at committee over and over again from those individuals who were from minority backgrounds, which I would also note for the committee really wasn't a group that was adequately represented here when we heard from witnesses, and it really would have been nice to hear from more, which was a point raised before being forced to this place, where we are now going through this bill clause-by-clause.... Nevertheless, that aside, those who we were fortunate to hear from and who are a part of minority groups did say that their success was found within the new media space.
You'll recall Ms. Roy, who goes by the name of “Aunty Skates”. She is a South Asian individual who, I believe, at the age of 45 started skateboarding and started her own channel and social media platform around that. She tried to take her content and put it out to numerous traditional broadcasters, and the packages she sent out were rejected time and time again, but when she decided to use new media—in particular, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram—she was met with a great deal of success and, within a short period of time, now has several hundred thousand followers. It's incredible.
I do think it needs to be noted for the committee, then, that it is not through greater government regulation and control that the celebration of minority groups is achieved, but rather, the testimony we heard at this committee is that greater freedom is what allows these individuals to access a platform with equality and to be able to make a go of it.
I would encourage this committee, then, if they are serious about wanting to support those individuals who are part of minority groups, if they are truly wanting those individuals to succeed and to have access to platforms, to make sure that we're not hindering the new media arena. Let's make sure that we are actually protecting the freedom that exists there for these individuals to find the success that is theirs to rightfully achieve.