Charlene Budnisky (Senior Director, Communication Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Department of Canadian Heritage) at the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee

Thank you very much for the opportunity to comment on this amendment that would be proposed to the Broadcasting Act.

You're absolutely right. Section 7 of the Broadcasting Act does, in fact, allow the Governor in Council to issue binding policy directions to the CRTC “of general application on broad policy matters” related to “broadcasting policy” or “regulatory policy” objectives. Accepting this amendment would place the CRTC in a position of assessing complex matters such as war crimes, human rights abuses and corruption, which fall outside the expertise of a broadcasting regulator.