OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez says he has heard the criticisms of the CRTC, but he still believes the time has come to modernize it, and in doing so, entrust it with regulating online platforms through bills C-11 (the Online Streaming Act) and C-18 (the Online News Act).
“Some argue that the CRTC is not responsive to consumers and creators, that it lacks the expertise and resources to deal with the new legislation,” Rodriguez said during the final keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday.
Rodriguez acknowledged that essentially, some say the Commission does not get the Internet, to which he replied, “Trust me, I hear these concerns.”
Noting government and technology have a complicated history, he defended the Commission, pointing out it has “a long history of supporting Canadian culture and communications.”
While this is new territory, “I believe the CRTC has what it needs to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” he said. “But I also think it is time to modernize the institution. Modernize the regulator to reflect its role and give it the tools it needs to oversee markets that are rapidly changing.”
Taking a moment to thank CRTC chair Ian Scott (who spoke at the conference the previous day) for his service to Canadians, Rodriguez said he is confident Scott is leaving the Commission in a position where it is ready to implement C-11 and C-18.
Should the bills pass as they are currently written, the modernization of the CRTC will not be inconsequential – the Commission will become responsible for ensuring major online platforms contribute to Canada’s broadcasting and news ecosystems and are subject to oversight and accountability.
Noting the platforms themselves agree with the government’s overall objectives, the minister, said that “like any profit-driven organization, they wake up thinking about their numbers, about their bottom lines… we in government wake up thinking about the public interest.”
A modernized CRTC, it is then implied, is the right institution to protect the public interest.
It is worth noting that, while mentioning CRTC’s critics, the minister did not specifically address the fact that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently considering a request to have the CRTC’s chair investigated for alleged wrongdoing or that the Information Commissioner recently found the Commission in breach of its obligations under the Access to Information Act.
