A Liberal-appointed Senator compared a cabinet bill to regulate YouTube to George Orwell's 1984, Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. “In Germany it was called the Ministry of National Enlightenment,” said Senator David Richards, a novelist and screenwriter.
“This law will be one of scapegoating all those who do not fit into what our bureaucrats think Canada should be,” said Richards. “Stalin again will be looking over our shoulder when we write.”
Richards spoke in Third Reading debate on Bill C-11 An Act To Amend The Broadcasting Act. The bill if passed would be the first federal legislation to regulate legal internet content in Canada.
According to Blacklock's Reporter, C-11 would mandate CRTC regulation of commercial internet content on platforms like YouTube. The original bill as passed by the Commons last June 21 did not define “commercial.” The Senate transport and communications committee has since adopted 26 amendments to shield individual YouTube creators from having to comply with the Broadcasting Act.
“I have a good deal of problems with this bill,” said Senator Richards. “I think it is censorship passing as ‘national inclusion.’”
“George Orwell says we must resist the prison of self-censorship,” he said. “This bill goes a long way to construct such a prison.” The legislation would mandate a “prescribed national agenda” that “suggests a favouritism brought forward by a knowledge of what Canada should be,” he said.
“This is not opening the gates to greatness but only to compliance,” said Richards. “The writers I know don’t need to advance to fit an agenda and neither do the songwriters or bloggers. When this bill mentions how we have evolved it is simply a suggestion to comply.”
“I don’t know who would be able to tell me what Canadian content is and what it is not, but I know it won’t be in the Minister of Heritage’s power to ever tell me,” said Richards, adding: “I don’t think the CRTC is a platform that will automatically ensure greatness of expression. As a matter of fact I think it will probably do damage to greatness of expression.”
Canadians have “filled the world with our talent, but not because of the minister of heritage,” Richards told the Senate.
“I am wondering if anyone on the staff of the minister of heritage understand this. In Germany it was called the Ministry of National Enlightenment and every radio was run by Joseph Goebbels, complete ideological manipulation in the name of national purity.”
“No decree by the CRTC could in any way tell us what Canadian content should or should not be or who should be allowed to bob their heads up out of the new murkiness we have created,” he said.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez in November 22 testimony at the Senate transport and communications committee pleaded with members to pass the bill. “I am asking you, please, Senators,” he said.
A similar Bill C-10 An Act To Amend The Broadcasting Act was introduced in 2020. It lapsed in the last Parliament on protests it regulated individual expression.
Matthew Horwood is the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of the Western Standard based in the Parliamentary Bureau. He has a degree in journalism from Carleton University and has been a reporter for the Hill Times and the Ottawa Business Journal.
This senator, on this particular piece of 'legislation' hits the nail on the head, which also speaks to the truth of where 'they' are headed with our once great country. Don't be afraid to speak out and speak the truth. Many don't understand what the truth is anymore. They don't have the time to sort thru all the Bu** S*it.
Exactly right. And the very reason that this can happen is because there are so many useful idiots who support it. History shows us that they don't wake up until it's too late and ironically, these who are advocates and supporters today are the first to be shot when they do wake up.
You and me both Drax, people seem to be happier with their heads burred deep in the sand or they outright don't believe a Libera/NDC government would do such an evil thing
Liberals have slowly been abandoning the Liberal party. But it has been very slow. Liberals have been so brain washed by the CBC and MSM that Trudeau and the Liberal party have saved Canada from the Harper government. LOL. Really, Harper seems like a saint compared to Trudeau right now. But, this brain washing is wearing off. They see JT is not a Liberal…. JT is a corrupt WEF puppet who must someday be help to account for his crimes.
The number of broadcast frequencies for radio and TV are limited. Since these frequencies belong to all Canadians the CRTC was formed to see TV and radio stations reflected the public interest.
But the number of potential internet channels is infinite. So what right does Justin have to censor the internet?
I’m sure some liberals realize they have no credibility anymore. Or is it a tactic, next thing you know they will come out and say we saved the freedom of the internet. And that Rodriguez guy was he even born in Canada, does he realize that the bad heritage of this country was created by the federal government I would assume a good portion of settlers and homesteaders had good relations with indigenous community’s they probably couldn’t have survived without them I’m sure
Thank you Senator, Richards, for saying this out loud . We have lost in Canada all sense of freedom of self expression and are going down a dark road .
I sure never needed a guy like Pablo Rodriguez to 'educate' me on what Canadian heritage means. Another woke joke that will fade into meaningless oblivion.
Then comes the next election and the Liberal incumbents get re-elected out of habit. Too many Canadians do not understand how our electoral democratic system functions in deciding who will be our Prime Minister. Shameful really!
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(17) comments
This senator, on this particular piece of 'legislation' hits the nail on the head, which also speaks to the truth of where 'they' are headed with our once great country. Don't be afraid to speak out and speak the truth. Many don't understand what the truth is anymore. They don't have the time to sort thru all the Bu** S*it.
Canada is heading into full scale communism, I try to warn people, but they don't want to know.
Exactly right. And the very reason that this can happen is because there are so many useful idiots who support it. History shows us that they don't wake up until it's too late and ironically, these who are advocates and supporters today are the first to be shot when they do wake up.
You and me both Drax, people seem to be happier with their heads burred deep in the sand or they outright don't believe a Libera/NDC government would do such an evil thing
Not surprised or shocked in the least by what he has stated. However, I am surprised that this was said by a Liberal.
On another note: are we currently at war with Eurasia or Eastasia? I can't seem to keep up.
Won't one police officer step up and arrest this illegitimate son of Castro for treason, and other crimes?
Trudeau is a psychotic and a psychopath
He is malevolent and a malignant cancer upon Canada
No rational person can have any respect for any Canadian institution at this point as they have enabled this child psychopath
This is uncharted territory for Canadians and Canada with this level of overwhelming corruption
Liberals have slowly been abandoning the Liberal party. But it has been very slow. Liberals have been so brain washed by the CBC and MSM that Trudeau and the Liberal party have saved Canada from the Harper government. LOL. Really, Harper seems like a saint compared to Trudeau right now. But, this brain washing is wearing off. They see JT is not a Liberal…. JT is a corrupt WEF puppet who must someday be help to account for his crimes.
The number of broadcast frequencies for radio and TV are limited. Since these frequencies belong to all Canadians the CRTC was formed to see TV and radio stations reflected the public interest.
But the number of potential internet channels is infinite. So what right does Justin have to censor the internet?
I’m sure some liberals realize they have no credibility anymore. Or is it a tactic, next thing you know they will come out and say we saved the freedom of the internet. And that Rodriguez guy was he even born in Canada, does he realize that the bad heritage of this country was created by the federal government I would assume a good portion of settlers and homesteaders had good relations with indigenous community’s they probably couldn’t have survived without them I’m sure
Thank you Senator, Richards, for saying this out loud . We have lost in Canada all sense of freedom of self expression and are going down a dark road .
[thumbup]
I sure never needed a guy like Pablo Rodriguez to 'educate' me on what Canadian heritage means. Another woke joke that will fade into meaningless oblivion.
Maybe some liberals are regaining their own identity and common sense. Call a spade a shovel.
Im very glad to see that some Liberals still have common sense.
Unfortunately that number of common sense liberals very small.
Then comes the next election and the Liberal incumbents get re-elected out of habit. Too many Canadians do not understand how our electoral democratic system functions in deciding who will be our Prime Minister. Shameful really!
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