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.
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.
