Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today in support of Motion No. 168, which seeks to strengthen net neutrality and protect an open Internet in Canada.
I want to congratulate my colleague the member for Oakville for his determined defence of a free and accessible Internet. In his speech we heard him refer to the need to be a catalyst and I can think of no better catalyst than the member for Oakville himself. His work and the motion he has put forward today will do much to protect net neutrality in Canada.
When we speak about net neutrality, Internet traffic management practices, and differential pricing practices, it can seem like we are grappling with new frontiers in the ever-expanding world of technology. In fact, however, the principles at the core of net neutrality are in many ways similar to the foundations on which our country was built 150 years ago.
When we defend net neutrality, we are preserving principles as foundational to our democracy as freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Indeed, values of diversity and freedom of expression are fundamental to what we celebrate about being Canadian. One hundred years ago, views were exchanged, debated, and challenged in our town squares. Today, the Internet is our town square and it is vital that we ensure it remains open, diverse, and accessible.
However, free access to the Internet is not just important because we are committed to protecting basic rights and freedoms. It is also absolutely crucial because access to an open Internet where everyone enjoys a level playing field is integral to creating Canadian jobs, supporting innovation, and allowing our businesses and entrepreneurs to reach markets around the world.
In my riding of Willowdale, I am proud to have vibrant and cutting-edge businesses that employ people in good-paying jobs and put Toronto on the map for innovation. One notable industry leader is Square. Square's Canadian headquarters are located in Willowdale. Square employs dozens of people locally and even more people in Kitchener-Waterloo. The office in my riding has hardware engineers who contribute to the design of products that are used globally and a business team that brings integrated payments and business tools to Canadian sellers. Square's innovative tools are used across Canada by everyone from contractors and professional services to cafés, local stores, and vendors at farmers markets. It is a testament to the truth that when everyone has equal access to the Internet, local businesses and charities have the tools they need to succeed.
Protecting a free and open Internet means standing up for the innovators who drive growth in all of our communities.
Not only do we need to protect the Internet for today's businesses, but we also need concrete action on behalf of tomorrow's generations who will be working in an increasingly online workforce. This government understands the importance of getting our youth the skills they need for the labour market of the future.
I was thrilled to help launch Canada Learning Code in Toronto this past January, where our government invested $7.9 million in coding and digital skills through CanCode, which is a $50-million federal program that gives children from kindergarten to high school the chance to learn coding and other digital skills. While our children are learning how to thrive in tomorrow's economy, it is our duty to ensure that their innovations and entrepreneurial spirit are provided the free and open Internet they desire.
In Canada, we are not starting from scratch when it comes to protecting the Internet and promoting access from coast to coast to coast. I am proud that our government is already working to increase access to the Internet with initiatives like connect to innovate, where we have pledged to invest $500 million by 2021 to ensure that 300 rural and remote communities in Canada have access to the high-speed Internet so they can be connected to new opportunities. Protecting net neutrality is another facet of ensuring that Canadians are able to be connected for success.
I am also encouraged that we already have powerful tools at our disposal to defend net neutrality. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is committed to supporting and enforcing net neutrality because it understands that Canadians must have access to choice and the free exchange of ideas. The CRTC makes sure that Internet traffic management practices comply with our laws. In April 2017, it established a new framework to deal with differential pricing practices. Furthermore, Canada has some of the world's strongest legislation in this area. The Telecommunications Act treats Internet service providers like utilities, which means they cannot give preference to certain services or influence the content transmitted on their networks. However, we still need to be vigilant in protecting this vital right.
We are at a pivotal moment in the defence of net neutrality. Today, we face an environment where decisions are made in international markets to back away from net neutrality. The world may be made up of countries spread across seven continents, but we are one global community tied together by shared culture, media, and businesses that thrive online.
At the same time, Canada is also approaching reviews of the Telecommunications Act and the Broadcasting Act. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has launched a review of both acts as part of a greater effort to ensure that Canadian content is celebrated and has an international audience. I applaud this initiative. Digital technology is a most rapidly changing field, and for this reason we must review Canada's legislation to ensure that our laws remain up to date. These reviews also present an ideal opportunity to explore avenues to further strengthen the laws that protect net neutrality.
In summary, I would like to once again thank my colleague for bringing this important issue to the attention of the House. As we consider the importance of net neutrality, let us reflect on the fundamental question of what it means to live in a free and open society. In the words of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, “I am a Canadian...free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong.”