Lethbridge Herald: The Government Aims to Control What you Watch

If you enjoy watching YouTube videos or prefer on-demand streaming services, like Netflix or Prime, over cable or radio, Bill C-11 will have a big impact on you!

Through this piece of legislation, the government is about to give itself the authority to control what you watch. Instead of giving you more of what you want, YouTube will be instructed to give you more of what the government wants for you.

The government claims this bill is about “supporting Canadian culture” and “leveling the playing field,” but that’s just not true. Let me explain…

Bill C-11 amends the Broadcasting Act by bringing the internet under its provisions. In the early 20th Century, this Act was put in place to regulate TV and radio to ensure Canada’s two official languages were both given airtime and cultural diversity was upheld. This was necessary because the number of TV and radio stations was limited, and these finite resources needed to be shared.

Unlike these two mediums, the internet is boundless. Anyone who wants to have a presence on the internet can have one. The government doesn’t need to regulate which content should be prioritized and which should be demoted. There’s space for all.

Today, in the Internet Age, when nearly everyone has access to smart devices and streaming services, it’s never been easier for Canadian content creators— from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds—to reach a global audience with the content they wish to showcase. The gatekeepers, such as Bell Media, Rogers, the CBC, or Corus Entertainment, have been removed. The internet is infinite, and the opportunities are endless.

But this is all about to change.

The Liberal Government, under Justin Trudeau, is determined to control what Canadians watch and post online.

Bill C-11 will have 2 massive consequences:

1. Censorship of what you see: This piece of legislation will effectively place the government as a content regulator, meaning it will determine what you can see online. This legislation will break your search bar. Instead of directing you to the things you want to view, it will direct you to the things the government wants you to view.

2. Censorship of what you say: Home-grown talent and creative content here in Canada will no longer succeed based on merit. Content will be subject to a set of criteria that bureaucrats in Ottawa will use to determine its level of “Canadian-ness.” This will favour traditional art forms over new creative content. Cultural minority groups will largely be cut out.

In summary, Bill C-11 will not only hinder consumers’ ability to view and listen to what they want, it will also harm digital first creators in their ability to succeed and reach global audiences.

Content creators from across Canada, along with consumer groups have been speaking out about the dangers of this bill. Legal experts have called it a grotesque overreach of government.

When speaking about the bill, Margaret Atwood didn’t mince her words when she called it “creeping totalitarianism.”

Bill C-11 is in its final hours of debate, but its not too late to fight back. Help us kill it!

If you’re worried about the government controlling what you watch, take a moment to reach out to the Minister of Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, and tell him to keep the YOU in YouTube.

It only takes one minute to send a one-line email and it could make a huge difference!

Please email: hon.pablo.rodriguez@pch.gc.ca

Together, let’s #KillBillC11!

Lethbridge Herald: Trudeau is out of Touch and Canadians are out of Money

"Canadians have never had it so good." Right before Christmas, Prime Minister Trudeau made this statement to a crowd of more than 2,000 Liberal lobbyists, political staffers, and consultants. For everyone in that room, he was right. Afterall, he was speaking to the folks benefitting from outlandish contracts handed to them by the Liberal government.

While Canadians are forced to choose between paying their mortgage or putting food on the table, the Liberals continue to dig deep into Canadians' pockets to fill their own.

We live in a country where moms are watering down baby formula and families are forced to skip meals as food prices skyrocket.

Unlike Mr. Trudeau, Canadians don't share the luxury of jetting off to private islands during the harsh winter months. Instead, they are forced to turn down their thermostats to 17℃ because home heating prices have more than doubled. So, when Trudeau says, "Canadians have never had it so good," I doubt he’s talking to anyone other than his insiders.

While Canadians are struggling, the Liberals are spending.

Canadians thought it was bad when they learned the Liberals spent $6,000 on one hotel night in London, but this week we found out it gets worse! In 2022, long after most of the world had stopped their quarantine requirements and after the government lifted its travel restrictions, at one Calgary area hotel, the Liberal government spent almost $7 million on COVID accommodations for 15 people. 15!!! That’s $450,000 per person!

For Liberal insiders securing these types of contracts, Mr. Trudeau is right, life has never been better!

After plunging Canada into debt and contributing to 40-year high inflation, the Liberals continue to shrug their shoulders and say they aren’t responsible. When food prices skyrocket, leaving families hungry, they say they can't do anything about it. If Canadians speak up and push back against the tripling of the carbon tax, they celebrate the toll its taking on Canadians. When asked about the carbon tax, Liberal MP, Andy Fillmore quipped, “there needs to be a bit of pain there. That’s the point.”

Well, I guess the Liberals are achieving their goal.

Pain is being felt across Canada! There is pain in the homes of families who are forced to buy lower-quality food, skip meals, and turn to food banks. There is pain in the homes of the 30,000 families who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses after the Liberal's policies flooded our streets with heroin and fentanyl. There is pain in the homes of seniors who are forced to wear winter coats inside as they turn their thermostats so low they put their health at risk. The effects of this affordability crisis have reached devastating levels.

It is time for the Liberals to step aside and make room for new leadership. Leadership that will turn this pain into the hope that Canadians need and deserve.

A Poilievre government will cut back the wasteful spending, cancel the tripling of the carbon tax, and start putting money back in the pockets of Canadians. We will move the money wasted on targeting law-abiding hunters and sports shooters and use that money to reinforce our borders to keep smuggled guns out. We will use that money to provide real treatment and recovery to save our loved ones who are suffering with addiction.

We are blessed with a country that is rich in natural resources. Canada has the third largest oil reserve, but the Liberals insist on Canada remaining reliant on dictators for energy. Canadian resources are the solution.

We are blessed with abundant and diverse agriculture and agri-food production. But the Liberals choose to punish our farmers instead of celebrating them.

It is time to give Canadians back control over their lives and the opportunity to help stabilize our economy, as they have done for decades in the past. Canadians are the solution!

You, the people, are the problem solvers, solution makers, and innovators that will move us forward to a vibrant and promising future. Canada is truly a resilient country, and the hardworking, caring, compassionate, and generous Canadian people bear the promise of this nation's future, not the government.

Lethbridge Herald: Trudeau Puts Politics over Public Safety

Since the Liberals took power seven years ago, violent crime has increased by 32 percent and gang-related violence has grown by 92 percent. There is no doubt about it, Canada is facing a public safety crisis.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has underscored for years that greater help is needed to secure Canada’s borders and equip metropolitan police with the training and resources they need to go after illegal gun smugglers and gangs. But Trudeau is not interested in solving the problem. His only goal is to score cheap political points.

Enter Bill C-21.

This bill targets highly vetted firearms owners who follow the rules and safely use their firearms for hunting, sport shooting, or protecting livestock. It will do nothing to take illegal firearms off the street or stop gun violence. It has nothing to do with keeping our communities safe.

With this bill, the Trudeau Liberals have launched the single largest assault on hunters and sport shooters in Canadian history.

Bill C-21 was introduced in Spring 2022, and it was terrible in its original form, then, at the 11th hour, just before Christmas, it was made even worse! By moving a significant amendment at committee stage, the Liberals moved to ban hundreds— if not thousands— of hunting rifles. This was done without hearing from experts or allowing for democratic debate.

Mr. Trudeau wants you to believe that he is only going after “weapons of war” and likes to display images of big scary black machine guns when he speaks to the press, but the reality is, the Liberals are going after classic rifles such as the Ruger No. 1, a firearm that is designed to accept only one bullet at a time. The ban also includes the Mossberg 702 Plinkster, a .22 caliber firearm designed for target practice. In addition, it captures firearms like the Webley & Scott Wild Fowl Gun, a shotgun used for bird hunting, along with various other World War II replica firearms owned by Grandpa Joe.

This amendment is terrible in its own right, but even more so when we consider the fact that it targets Indigenous Canadians, whose culture is deeply tied to hunting and who have treaty rights to hunt for sustenance. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Executive released a public statement expressing its concerns. In it, the Chief advocated for those he represents by saying “our people can’t afford to have our guns taken away, especially when we are trying to put food on the table during unprecedented times.” The Chief went on to highlight the fact that Indigenous folks will be unjustly targeted by this legislation because of systemic racism. He called on the Trudeau government to acknowledge the tremendous harm that will be done by this bill and urged Mr. Trudeau to take a step back.

While the Liberals want you to believe they care about community safety, the exact opposite is true. Bill C-5 was brought into effect by this government as a favour to criminals. Ironically, it amends the Criminal Code to take away mandatory jail time for violent gun crime and allow those criminals to serve under house arrest in our communities.

Other offences for which the penalty has been significantly softened include weapons trafficking, discharging a firearm with intent, robbery with a firearm, and extortion with a firearm.

This soft on crime approach is not only dangerous, but also a blatant departure from reason.

The Liberals’ hypocrisy is palpable.

Bill C-21 is about politics, not gun safety, and it is at the expense of everyday Canadians who are being victimized in their own communities by gangs and dangerous criminals.

Canadians deserve better.

Conservatives have always stood for common sense gun safety and strong consequences for those who commit gun offences. Why? Because it is the right thing to do. If we value human life, the principles of law and justice, and safety in this country, then we should work to strengthen the structures that uphold those principles.

It is obvious to anyone watching that the Prime Minister is not serious about stopping dangerous criminals from getting their hands on illegal guns or making our streets safer. This type of political theatre and virtue signalling is reckless, short-sighted, and out of step with a free and democratic society. It is damaging for all.

Canadians have a chance to make their voices heard. If the actions of the Liberal government concern you, please have your say by contacting the Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, by emailing him at marco.mendicino@parl.gc.ca or by calling his office at 613-992-6361.