Canadian Heritage committee  For the context of our conversation today, the Australian system produced the expected and desired result. There are contracts that have agreed-upon terms with journalism organizations of all sizes, and the news out of Australia is that this is addressing the public policy challenge in that country.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you for the question. I think it's worth underlining that I'm here today to discuss, as other witnesses have, amendments that would make this bill better and to ensure that we support journalism in Canada as a society, as well as a company and an industry. Our primary concern, as I discussed, about undue preference is that it is tied to this framework, and it is tied to an enforcement mechanism through the CRTC that is in effect a challenge to how commercial contracts are conducted and then how information is presented within our products and services.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you very much for the question. As it stands, Canadians come to Google Search to seek an answer to a question. We provide them with multiple trustworthy and authoritative sources. They are presented in order of relevance and then trustworthiness and quality of information.

Canadian Heritage committee  There very definitely is a value to any site, including publishers and journalists, making their content available on search and on other services. There is also an opportunity, as Mr. Myles identified, for them to handle those information seekers and those users to convert them into readers and into subscribers as soon as they land on their website.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  I can't speak to the total cost of our network and our search engine, but it is a substantial cost. It's an investment we've been making in Canada for the past 20 years.

Canadian Heritage committee  These are standard contractual agreements with publishers and other organizations and they're mutually agreed terms.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's a part of most commercial agreements, as I understand.

Canadian Heritage committee  We don't make that decision. We talk to each organization about the package that would be included in an agreement that would help them address their challenges as a news organization. That includes the level of revenue exchange, I guess you would say, but also programming, technical support and other elements.

Canadian Heritage committee  We've been negotiating these agreements since striking these partnerships with journalism organizations, since before Bill C-18 was introduced. It's a reality of the journalism industry in Canada and globally. We remain partners and we're committed to the success of journalism.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'll get back to the committee.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  What I can underline for the committee is our commitment to addressing those issues, which is ongoing and has been for years. We are making those investments in teams around the world to both identify and deal with the sort of online commentary and discourse that Canadians are identifying and that individuals around the world are concerned about.

Canadian Heritage committee  As a member of the public? It's free.

Canadian Heritage committee  The concern that Canadians reflected in that survey—which is a snapshot in time—is reflective of our concerns about the legislation not having detail that provides us with certainty of the impact this legislation will have on the availability of information and the amplification of disinformation for Canadians.