HANNAFORD: Ottawa's eternal quest to shape what Canadians say and think

Is it an exaggeration to say Canada’s Liberal government uses newspaper subsidies and internet regulation to control what Canadians read and say? Host Nigel Hannaford puts the question to former CRTC commissioner and one-time Calgary Herald publisher Peter Menzies: “I don’t think you’re overstating the situation at all,” says Menzies. .To begin with, old-style newspapers — often referred to as 'heritage media' — are now completely dependent upon subsidies delivered under the Aid to Publishers’ grant of the Canada Periodical Fund.But, Menzies also points to a suite of Liberal bills — Bill C‑11, Bill C‑18, and the temporarily shelved Bill C‑63 (Online Harms Act) — as tools designed to expand state control over online content..These laws, he says, reflect a dangerous instinct to regulate speech not for safety, but for ideological conformity — not just through subtle nudges, but through direct legislative control.In a nutshell:Bill C‑11 extended CRTC control to the internet under the novel pretence that online content is "broadcasting."Bill C‑18 gives the government a hand in deciding which news outlets receive funding.Bill C‑63, although it died on the order paper when former prime minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament, proposed draconian powers for the Canadian Human Rights Commission to pre-emptively restrict people from even potentially saying something offensive online.“This is Minority Report stuff,” Menzies warns. “We are now pointing at each other — and giving the state the power to act.”It is also a sharp illustration of the deepening ideological divide between Canada’s governing Liberals and the more laissez-faire Conservative tradition. The core difference, says Menzies, is philosophical. “Liberals believe if the government does it, it must be good,” while Conservatives operate under a “Jeffersonian” principle: that government should do only what only government must do — and leave the rest to citizens..Menzies notes that this ideological creep doesn’t stop at the edges of policy — it seeps into cultural institutions. He recounts how Parks Canada recently banned a Christian musician from performing at one of its sites because his views didn’t align with their “values.”.Parks Canada revokes permit for MAGA supporting Christian artist's concert over ‘safety’ concerns.“When did government agencies start having values? Pick up the garbage. Don’t litter. That should be the end of it,” says Menzies. “Now we have values weaponized.”The conversation also looks forward to the role of artificial intelligence in journalism. Menzies warns that AI could either save or destroy the news industry. It may automate routine reporting, but also discourage users from clicking on links, thereby drying up ad and subscription revenues. He urges Western Standard readers to recognize the stakes — and get a subscription right away.This is a must-watch episode for anyone concerned about freedom of speech, media independence, and the expanding role of government in Canadian life.Hannaford airs at seven o'clock tonight.