“The Liberals want to tax more. They say this tax will pay for Canadian culture. I want the Liberals to say who will really pay this tax. How much money has this tax made before? How much money do the Liberals think it will make now? The government will not pay this tax. The government will take the money and maybe give it to some other people. The people will pay.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from the House of Commons.
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A bill about modernizing the military justice system, including changes to appointing the Provost Marshal General and removing the court martial's jurisdiction over certain sexual offences. During discussion, MPs mostly debated a completely different bill on taxing and regulating online streaming, traded partisan jabs, and discussed protecting and promoting Canadian and Quebec culture.
“I want to make the government look bad. The government spends lots of money on ads. The government should spend that money on local businesses instead. I'm going to ask about a tax. How much money did that tax collect? The tax is going up. That sounds bad.”
“You talked about human rights and justice everywhere. I want you to condemn this specific thing I don't like.”
“I want to ask the new Liberal if she can answer a question in French. But really I want to know who will pay the 15%. She should give a simple answer.”
“Don't tax foreign companies more. It won't help Canadian culture. The U.S. might retaliate.”
“I'm not afraid of American culture. Canadians can compete with the world. You use Netflix too. Have some confidence in Canadian creators.”
“I'm filling up space with good words about jobs and investment. The real issue is the government wants more control. It's not about protecting culture. It's about forcing tech companies to promote the government's message and pay for its programs.”
“I want to look serious about trade. I talk about these trade deals to sound smart. But really, why is the government risking a trade fight now?”
“I'm piling on. The government must be asleep at the wheel to start a trade fight now. I want to look like I'm concerned about trade.”
“I want to look like I support Canadian content too. But I don't want the government picking winners and losers. And I don't want the government forcing tech companies to only show some content.”
“Canadians are struggling with rising costs. The CRTC tripled the streaming tax from 5% to 15%. This hurts ordinary Canadians, not wealthy corporations. It makes Canada an expensive and unpredictable place for streaming companies to invest and create jobs. This could drive away production studios and make it harder for our arts and culture sector to compete. The tax is unconstitutional - the CRTC doesn't have the right to impose it without Parliament's approval. The Liberal government should reject this decision that will make life more expensive for Canadians.”
“I'm connected to the film industry. I've financed projects. Filmmakers want opportunity and investment. This levy will chase away investment and shrink the industry. It won't help.”
“I don't like how you framed that question. That framing is unacceptable. This is not about American companies. This is about Canadian creators and artists. I want investment and opportunity for Canadians and Canadian content. I want that chance for Canadian creators and artists. It does not matter where the investment comes from.”
“I want investment in Canada. I think this decision will hurt investment. When the government picks winners and losers, capital flees. Capital goes to certainty. This proposal doesn't have that. The CRTC doesn't understand economics, trade, or capital flow. I want my colleague to say how this will negatively impact investment in Canadian production and Canadian culture.”
“I know an entrepreneur who tried to sell to Europe. They were the same quality and price as an American company. But they lost the contract. The buyer said Canada is hard to do business with. That's why they bought from the American company instead of the Canadian one.”
“You didn't answer my question earlier about who will really pay this 15% tax on digital products. I'm going to ask you again since your colleague dodged it. I want to expose that consumers will pay this new tax, not tech companies. The government is just using cultural products as an excuse to raise taxes.”
“You say you want to support Canadian culture. But this big new tax will hurt the industry. It will make Canada less competitive. Companies might go film in the US instead. The tax will make it too expensive to film here and tell Canadian stories.”
“I don't like the CRTC's new streaming rules. They're a tax that will make Netflix more expensive. The government shouldn't regulate what I watch. Let people choose what they want to see.”
“I want the government to stop interfering with online speech and picking winners and losers. The government should let all Canadian content creators have the opportunity to succeed without navigating complex CRTC rules and funding.”
“The CRTC can't just tax online platforms and expect them to absorb the cost. They'll pass it on to Canadian consumers. I want a fair system where all content creators can compete, not just big players with special deals.”