Julie Dabrusin

[The Environment, June 3rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, we understand that Canada must do its part to reduce emissions and work with other global leaders to tackle climate change, create growth and improve the well-being of all people. That is why we have developed a comprehensive plan and made the largest commitment to climate action in Canadian history to move Canada and the rest of the international community toward our shared goal.

We also understand that the previous emission reduction commitments made by the signatories to the Paris Agreement are not enough to hold global warming below 1.5°C. There has been a global call for increased ambition and climate action, and we have been listening.

That is why at the Leaders Summit on Climate, on April 22, 2021, Canada announced an enhanced emissions reduction target of 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. Members are probably wondering how we intend to meet this target. As I mentioned, we already have a comprehensive plan in place, and we have been working to find real solutions to tackle the climate crisis since 2015. Our recently announced strengthened climate plan, a healthy environment and a healthy economy, builds on our first climate plan, the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change, and includes over 60 new measures and $15 billion in investments to advance our ambitious climate goals and strengthen our clean economy.

The government has since expanded on these investments and committed an additional $15 billion to public transit and active transportation projects, and $17.6 billion to new green recovery measures in budget 2021. The investments made in budget 2021, along with other action, including strengthened alignment with the United States to further cut pollution from transportation and methane emissions, mean that Canada is now positioned to reduce emissions significantly.

All this to say, we are making progress. However, we recognize that more needs to be done to reach the new target. Canada is just starting along the innovation curves associated with some of the most promising decarbonization technologies, such as industrial electrification; carbon capture, use and storage; and hydrogen.

Investments in clean technology and innovation, such as those detailed in Canada's climate plan, help to accelerate the development of next generation technologies. For example, new investments in Canada's net-zero accelerator will incentivize Canadian businesses and industry to develop net-zero technologies and build our clean industrial advantage.

Moving forward, the Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces, territories, indigenous peoples, civil society, industry, national indigenous organizations and the U.S. administration to advance shared priorities that will further lower emissions. In these partnerships, the government believes that Canada can go further and faster together.

[Canadian Heritage, June 3rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, well, at least we have avoided repetition, but today we were talking about Bill C-10.

The government understands the need to act quickly. The regulations for the broadcasting industry need to be reformed because the current version of the act is over 30 years old and because, today, Canadian content is created in a very different context than it was in 1991.

I am happy to speak in support of Bill C-10. I look forward to the opportunity for our creators to travel all across our country, even to Alberta, to create these wonderful stories.

[Canadian Heritage, June 3rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-10 is an absolute priority for our government and for the cultural sector. It has been 30 years since the Broadcasting Act was modernized, before Canadians turned from video stores to streaming services to access their movies and shows. Over that time, foreign web giants have stepped into that void and they made money in Canada without any requirement that they contribute a portion of those revenues to our cultural industry.

We have an uneven playing field where traditional Canadian broadcasters have regulatory obligations and the foreign web giants do not. We are levelling that playing field, while creating greater support for an important part of our economy. I am happy that the member opposite raised the issue about cultural productions in Alberta because the Canadian cultural sector employs many Canadians across our country on shows like Heartland, which is filmed in Alberta.

Since Bill C-10 was introduced on November 3 of last year, the proposed legislation has received more than 20 hours of debate in the House of Commons. Even during that first debate in this place, the Conservatives vowed to block the bill. There have been more than 40 hours of dedicated study at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Witnesses provided over 100 in-person testimonies; dozens of written submissions were accepted and looked at. The bill itself is the response to a 2019 report called, “Canada's communications future: Time to act”, which received more than 2,000 submissions. All that is to say there has been considerable study and debate on this bill.

Having witnessed the Conservatives in power for the 10 years previous, once we formed government we ensured that all bills must be accompanied by a charter statement. The Department of Justice Canada's analysis has confirmed that Bill C-10 remains consistent with the charter's guarantee of freedom of speech, as has our supplemental analysis after amendments were made at committee. I would like to add that the original Broadcasting Act contains a section that remains unchanged, which states that it must be interpreted in a way that respects freedom of expression and journalistic and creative independence. That has been there for the past 30 years. We added a further clause, at committee, that repeats its protections specifically for social media companies. The bill is consistent with our right to freedom of expression.

I would like to go back to the amount of time that has been put into the study of this bill, which, over the past weeks, has included tremendous amounts of repetition. Every moment lost as a result of the Conservative Party of Canada's filibuster has deprived the Canadian economy of important investment in our culture and jobs. Each month, an estimated $70 million that Bill C-10 would add to our broadcasting, audiovisual, music and media sectors and would support the 170,000 people who work in those sectors is lost. Instead of going to our artists, creators and cultural workers, and Canadian stories, we are seeing that money remaining in the pockets of foreign tech companies.

In conclusion, Bill C-10 would even the playing field. It is not fair the way the system is working now. I understand the Conservatives have opposed levelling this playing field from the very beginning. That is their choice, but Canadians want fairness and that is what Bill C-10 would deliver.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 3rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), as of April 16, 2021, Canadian Heritage has not received any media requests for consultation reports.

With regard to part (b), as of April 16, 2021, Canadian Heritage has not received any media requests for consultation reports.

With regard to part (c), Canadian Heritage consults with a wide range of stakeholders when developing policies and legislation. With respect to Bill C-10, the government completed broad consultations to inform the development of the proposed bill.

In the autumn of 2016, Canadian Heritage consulted with stakeholders across the country on supporting Canadian content in the digital era. The results from those consultations can be found at www.canada.ca/en/services/culture/consultations.html

In October of 2017, the Governor in Council requested that the CRTC create a report on the future of distribution models for broadcasting. The CRTC’s notice of consultation can be found at https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-359.htm and the final report titled “Harnessing Change” can be found at https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/s15/

In 2018, the government appointed the broadcasting and telecommunications legislative review panel to study Canada’s communications legislation. The panel extensively consulted Canadians and over 2,000 parties submitted their views. Further information on the panel and its final report can be found at www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/110.nsf/eng/home

Following the publication of the panel’s report in January 2020, the minister and the department engaged with many stakeholders on the panel’s recommendations through various mechanisms, such as individual stakeholder meetings and roundtables.

Stakeholder engagement included creative industry associations, such as the Canadian Media Producers Association, CMPA, Association québécoise de la production médiatique, AQPM, Writers Guild of Canada, Coalition pour la diversité des expressions culturelles and the Motion Picture Association of Canada. It included large Canadian broadcasters and media groups, such as Quebecor, Bell Media, Rogers Media, Corus, Shaw and CBC/Radio-Canada. It included independent Canadian radio and television broadcasters, such as OutTV, Knowledge Network, Zoomer Media and CHEK TV. It included indigenous media organizations, such as APTN and Indigenous Screen Office. It included global media and technology companies, such as Netflix, Google/YouTube, Facebook and Amazon. It included funding organizations, such as Canada Media Fund and Creative BC. It included provinces and territories, and the Government of the United States of America.

[Canadian Heritage, May 31st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Broadcasting Act has not been updated in 30 years, before streaming services even became a part of the way Canadians found their shows, movies and music. It needed an update.

The rules for social media companies and their obligations would be restricted to requiring them to report the revenues they make in Canada, contribute a portion of those revenues back to Canadian cultural industries and to make Canadian creators discoverable. That would be good for Canadian jobs and our Canadian artists.

[Canadian Heritage, May 31st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Broadcasting Act has not been updated for 30 years and during that time foreign web giants have stepped into that void. They have made money in Canada without contributing to our cultural creative industries. Bill C-10 seeks to modernize our broadcasting system and to level the playing field between our traditional broadcasters and these foreign web giants.

Why have the Conservatives vowed from the very beginning to block Bill C-10 and let these web giants make money in Canada without contributing to our Canadian jobs and creations?

[Canadian Heritage, May 31st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I answered that question.

The Broadcasting Act has not been updated in 30 years. Foreign web giants have come onto the market since then. They are making money in Canada but are not contributing to our creative cultural industries. Bill C-10 is designed to modernize our broadcasting system.

Why have the Conservatives been promising all along to block the passage of Bill C-10 and to let these web giants make money in Canada without contributing to Canadian jobs and Canadian content?

[Canadian Heritage, May 31st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-10 does not affect Internet service providers. The only thing this bill does is ask web giants like Netflix to contribute to the creation of Canadian content. This represents work in Canada for our Canadian artists. There is nothing against net neutrality in this bill, because it does not affect Internet service providers.

[Business of the House, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), be disposed of as follows:

(a) the bill be deemed concurred in at the report stage; and

(b) when Government Orders is called later today, the bill shall be considered at third reading, that a member of each recognized party and a member of the Green Party be recognized to speak for not more than 10 minutes each following by 5 minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for debate or when no member rises to speak, whichever is earlier, the bill be deemed read a third time and passed.

[Canadian Heritage, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, it is clearly stated in the bill that users are excluded from the Broadcasting Act. That is a specific exclusion within the bill. The Broadcasting Act modernization will apply to social media companies only and require them to report the revenues that they make in Canada, to contribute a portion of those to the creation of Canadian stories and music, and to make our creators more discoverable. That is important for Canadian jobs and Canadian creators. I hope that the Conservatives will choose to support us in that.