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Canadian Identity and Culture

During question period on Canadian identity and culture, the Bloc Québécois raised the government’s decision to have the CRTC drop levies on American online streaming platforms, saying the government is breaking its own Broadcasting Act and shifting the cost of culture funding to taxpayers, since public money could be cut by any future government; the Bloc asked the government to restore the levy to protect Quebec and French-language culture. Marc Miller replied for the Liberals that the government never said it would amend the Broadcasting Act, and pointed to Liberal members’ record of voting for culture and what he called historic investments in culture.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Martin Champoux

Bloc Québécois
“The government passed a law to make American streaming services pay fees to support our culture. Now the government is telling the regulator to ignore that law and drop the fees. I want the government to follow its own law.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Broadcasting Act is among the many laws that the Prime Minister intends to break. It was the Liberals themselves who legislated for the CRTC to impose levies on American online streaming platforms. However, they are breaking their own law by asking the CRTC to disregard it and cancel the levies. That is unbelievable. That is a complete sellout of Quebec culture in favour of the world’s wealthiest. Is it too much to ask the government to comply with its own law and allow the CRTC to impose levies?

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Marc Miller

Liberal
“We never said we would change the broadcasting law.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm to the House that we never said we would amend the Broadcasting Act.

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Martin Champoux

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The government is making taxpayers pay for culture instead of big internet companies. This public funding is not reliable, because any government can cut it at any time. I want the minister to change his mind and bring back the fee on these companies to protect Quebec and French culture.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the government has said that it is dropping the levy and that it will make up for it with public funds. Where is it going to get that money? Directly from the pockets of taxpayers is where. The problem is that, instead of taking money out of the pockets of multinational Internet companies, the federal government is sticking citizens with the bill while giving them no say in the matter. On top of being grossly unfair, this approach replaces sustainable, legally protected funding for culture with a one-time amount that any government can cut at any time. Will the minister finally reconsider and choose the side of francophone and Quebec culture?

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Marc Miller

Liberal
“Liberal MPs always vote to support culture in Quebec and Canada. Our government has spent more money on culture than any other government in Canadian history.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be able to rise in the House, on our side of the House, to represent members, including about 50 from Quebec, who rise time and time again to vote for culture in Quebec and Canada, with historic investments that no other government has ever made in the history of Canada.

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