The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Senator Cardozo, we have just over one minute left. Do you want to take a question?

Senator Housakos: Senator Cardozo, congratulations. I think that is your maiden speech in the Senate. There’s a lot in your speech that we can dissect, but I’d like to just look at one aspect, where you talked about how popular Bill C-11 is in Quebec. I think Bill C-11 is popular in Quebec among those who are fans of cable and the traditional broadcasting model of doing business. It’s very unpopular among streamers, bloggers, Twitter users and all those young Quebecers living on these new platforms.

The reason those new platforms are so popular among francophones is because they don’t get narrowed into just a few million francophones who listen to their capacity to develop their art and culture. They get to broadcast around the world to millions and hundreds of millions of francophones.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, one of the many tragedies that have resulted from this terrible war in Ukraine has been the loss of cooperation between our country and Russia.

I harken back to the years when delegations from Northwest Territories went to Yakutsk, Chukokta and other Arctic regions, visited and exchanged information and insights into Arctic challenges, being well supported by the circumpolar division of then-Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada. We agreed in those exchanges that we are two great Arctic nations. Though our Arctic coast is longer than the Atlantic and Pacific coasts combined, Russia’s is longer.

We have common problems that only we understand and have struggled to address. We learned from the Russians how to build better ice roads and ice bridges in the Arctic. We visited their permafrost institutes and learned that you can use kerosene instead of expensive chemicals to insulate thermal piles in the permafrost. We can learn from their small modular reactors which are powering towns and their fleets of icebreakers.

One of our then-Northwest Territories companies, Ferguson Simek Clark, led by Stefan Simek, built an airport and an entire village in Yakutia, which was modelled after what our Russian visitors had seen in Dene communities along the Mackenzie Valley built by the Government of the Northwest Territories. There were also rich cultural exchanges between the Indigenous peoples of the Soviet and Canadian Arctic fostered by the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

More importantly, there was solid Arctic cooperation on important issues relating to climate change, search and rescue, circumpolar health and economic development through the Arctic Council, a Canadian creation. All this has been lost in the megalomania of a madman who seeks to restore Russia’s greatness on the backs of the innocent people of Ukraine.

How sad that this peaceful cooperation, cultivated by Russia’s enlightened former president Mikhail Gorbachev, has been put on hold by the actions of an evil man I call “Vlad the Impaler.” Let us hope he can be stopped and we can someday reconnect with our circumpolar friends in the Russian North.

Thank you.

Hon. Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard: Honourable senators, it is my honour to be with you in person today and to deliver a statement for Black History Month on this first day of Black History Month. This year, the national theme is “Ours to tell,” and Nova Scotia’s African Heritage Month theme is “Seas of Struggle.” Both evoke a sense of ancestral, collective remembering. The history and relationship to the sea is our story to tell. The sea is an integral part of African Canadian history, as our ancestors were trafficked across the Middle Passage. Many survived the brutal journey; many did not survive.

I feel a particular affinity to the sea, living in Nova Scotia. Almost every single one of the 48 African-Nova Scotian communities lies where water and land meet, physically pushed to the margins of the province. Nova Scotia has many sea-related industries with very little Black representation. Perhaps it is time for Nova Scotia to create opportunities in fishing and shipbuilding industries for reparations based on the link between African Nova Scotians and the Atlantic Ocean. This could be a three-step process.

First, address racism in the industries as part of an ongoing process of systemic change. Second, offer educational and training opportunities for African Nova Scotians. Third, fill positions in the industries. There are some positive examples of innovative programs that address steps two and three with opportunities for women, Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotians in the shipbuilding industry, for example. There is more work to be done especially with step one, making sure the workplaces are safe as they become more diverse.

These themes help me imagine that future generations of African Nova Scotians have a more impactful and engaging relationship with the sea, moving us from seas of struggle to prosperity. Happy Black History Month to all Canadians, and happy African Heritage Month to Nova Scotians.

Asante, thank you.

[Translation]

Senator Downe: I’m surprised actually, senator, at some of your comments. We’re talking about the Broadcasting Act. As Senator Dawson correctly pointed out, it hasn’t been before Parliament in decades. If you’re not doing compensation in the Broadcasting Act for the CBC, I’m not sure where you would do it. It is the most appropriate place. Where would you do it if it’s not the Broadcasting Act that is before us today?

Senator Downe: Yes. Thank you. The amendment does not specify that the $2 million is for each day of the violation. That is because — and I’m reading what the lawyers wrote; these are not my words — the Broadcasting Act already provides the following clause 28, the new subsection 34.4(2):

Continued violation

A violation that is continued on more than one day constitutes a separate violation in respect of each day on which it is continued.

That was the question I had when the amendment came — why it doesn’t say “daily.”

Senator Downe: Actually, no, because as you know, senator, under the Privacy Act, anyone can waive the restrictions. The reason for this is we should not ask others for what we’re not prepared to do ourselves. In this case, our salaries are all disclosed, so it would be whatever the Senate salary is and above that for the CBC employees. It’s not a violation of the Privacy Act because we have all kinds of salaries released publicly across the government.

There’s a clear section in the Privacy Act where the person can waive. I can ask an ambassador, “Who did you have for lunch in Berlin last week?” They can say, “Under the Privacy Act, we are not disclosing,” but they can also waive that and disclose it. That’s the same here.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: We are now resuming debate on the amendment. Senator Dawson, on debate on the amendment.

Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: Honourable senators, it was an honour to see so many of you here at noon today for the opening of the Tales exhibit. This exhibit, which echoes the 2023 Black History Month theme, “Ours to tell,” is produced under the patronage of the African Canadian Senate Group. This Senate group is composed of the honourable senators Wanda Thomas Bernard, Sharon Burey, Bernadette Clement, Amina Gerba, Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Rosemary Moodie, Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia and myself.

[English]

I want to thank my colleagues and their teams for their invaluable support.

[Translation]

Tales is the result of a collaboration between the Centre culturel afro-canadien de Montréal, represented here by its president, Allen Alexandre, and Mosaïque interculturelle in Ottawa, represented by its president, Nicole Baptiste.

These “tales” that the artists are sharing with you in the Senate foyer will be on display throughout the month of February. I admire their talent — and some of you do, too, based on the wonderful comments you shared with me — and I recognize the significant contribution they make to our nation’s culture.

I am proud to introduce them to you. They are Sarah-Mecca Abdourahman, Ojo Agi, Dominique Dennery, Laurena Finéus, Antoine Jeune Dimanche, Helmer Joseph, Komi Seshie, Pascal Smarth, Shanna Strauss, Gloria C. Swain and Stanley Wany.

Their inspiring works tell the stories of artists of African descent through their works on canvas or other mediums. These creators use their work to express their reality and world view, draw on their inner images and pass them on to future generations.

The exhibit curators, Emmanuel St-Juste and Allison Roberts, brought all of these artists together to present their art to us. I sincerely thank them.

The Tales exhibit invites us all to explore and peruse the rich and fascinating history of today’s African-Canadian artists.

Please join me in congratulating all these artists.

I wish all of you here and all Canadians a happy Black History Month.

Hon. Victor Oh: Honourable senators, it is my honour to rise today to offer my greetings to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year and its annual Spring Festival.

The arrival of 2023 has ushered in the Year of the Rabbit. In Asian traditions, the rabbit is known as a symbol of peace, prosperity and longevity. The rabbit also offers us hope for new opportunities.

Senator McPhedran just told me she’s a rabbit. I’m sure we have more than one in the chamber.

The first day of the Lunar New Year began on January 23 and is a special holiday in my culture. Traditionally, it is an occasion for time spent with family, friends and community. For Chinese Canadians in particular, it is also a time to reconnect with our cultural origins.

Every Lunar New Year, countless Chinese-Canadian community organizations from coast to coast to coast do a wonderful job of promoting our cultural heritage. This year is particularly special as it is the first time since the pandemic that celebrations and gatherings were able to take place in large groups.

Senators, multiculturalism is at the heart of what makes Canada the greatest country in the world. We celebrate diversity and openness, and because of this, celebrations such as the Lunar New Year can take place without the fear of protest or violence.

These cultural holidays should continue to be opportunities for highlighting customs, bridging communities and sharing in long‑standing traditions.

In closing, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a healthy and prosperous Year of the Rabbit.

Thank you, xie xie.

Senator Downe: You’re aware that the Transport Committee recommended this very course of action nine years ago. Senator Dawson was the chair of that committee. Senators at the time recommended this proposal. We are, in effect, doing what the Senate recommended, and for some reason you’re opposed to it. I’m not clear why. I won’t get into the other comments about CBC and Charlottetown being punished and so on. I reject the suggestion, but we don’t have time to carry on.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Any more senators on debate?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: All those in favour of the motion please say “yea.”

Senator Dawson: On division.

And two honourable senators having risen:

Hon. Gwen Boniface: Honourable senators, I rise today to honour the life and service of OPP Constable Greg Pierzchala. Greg was killed in the line of duty on December 27 when he responded to a call to assist a vehicle in a ditch near Hagersville in southwestern Ontario. He was 28 years old.

Greg was new to policing and had a full life and career ahead of him. He had previously served in the Canadian Forces and was a Special Constable at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Sadly, he had just learned that he passed his probationary period on the day of the shooting.

Greg grew up in Barrie, Ontario, and was an accomplished student and multi-sport athlete who is remembered for his grit and team spirit. He was also a lover of art. By all accounts, he was an inspiring, determined and compassionate man who always looked for the good in people.

Constable Pierzchala wanted to be a police officer since he was 5 years old and said he had finally found his dream job. He is described by his colleagues as a quiet leader with a strong character who quickly earned the respect of his peers.

On that fateful day, Greg answered a call — amongst many that snowy day — for a stranded vehicle in the ditch. He was shot shortly after his arrival. Despite valiant efforts of first responders and medical personnel, he did not survive.

Constable Pierzchala is the fifth officer killed in Canada since September — a disturbing rise that has rattled the law enforcement community. In early January, a joint statement was released by four of Canada’s police associations, “calling for action to address what they see as a growing wave of violence aimed at police officers and their communities.”

Constable Greg Pierzchala’s colleagues, community and family have been devastated by this senseless act of violence.

For those involved in that call, their lives are forever marked by Greg’s death: the dispatcher who sent him to the call; the first officers on the scene; the paramedics; his shift mates; his coach officer, who spent the last year teaching him how to keep himself safe; and his recruits class, who will always see a hole in their graduation picture.

Most importantly, I ask you to join me in sending our deepest condolences to his family: his parents, Janina and Jan; and his siblings, Chris, Michal and Justyna.

Honourable senators, it is my fervent wish that this will be the last time I have to stand before you to remember an officer killed in the line of duty.

Rest in peace, Constable Pierzchala. Thank you.

Hon. Fabian Manning: Honourable senators, today I’m pleased to present Chapter 71 of “Telling Our Story.”

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are well known for their friendly and warm hospitality. We are always willing to share the stories and songs that continue to tell of our wonderful part of the world. We equally will share our hearths, homes and a bite to eat with anyone who drops by for a visit.

In days gone by, the only heating source in many Newfoundland homes was the old wood stove located in the kitchen. For many Newfoundlanders, the kitchen became the centre of the home. It was the place where good times were had and treasured memories were created. From these gatherings, a special tradition, fittingly called “the kitchen party,” was created. The kitchen party has grown in immense popularity with people throughout the years, whether one is homegrown or a come from away.

Everyone is always welcome to join in, because in Newfoundland you will not find any strangers — only friends you haven’t yet met. An elderly fisherman from my hometown once said, “If you haven’t experienced a Newfoundland kitchen party, you really haven’t lived a full life.” I would have to agree with him, because there is nothing quite like it.

Most kitchen parties are not planned. People drop by for a visit and maybe a fresh feed of cod tongues with scruncheons, along with a slice of homemade bread, and there’s always a variety of beverages to help wash it all down. A few musicians are always close by, especially one or two with an accordion; and before you realize what is happening, people are singing, dancing and telling stories and the kitchen party is well under way. This is a unique part of our Irish-Newfoundland heritage.

There are very few rules, and no one is looking at the clock. The only requirement is that if you can’t stand the heat in the kitchen, go out in the backyard and cool off for a little while, or go to the fridge where you are bound to find a cool bottle of some remedy to help cure whatever ails you. Guests are always encouraged to share their talents as well. That’s when things can get very interesting.

In 2017, while returning from a golf trip to Florida, Newfoundlanders Sean Sullivan and Sheldon Thornhill, along with a few buddies, had some time to spare while waiting for their delayed flight at Toronto’s international airport. Sheldon decided to take out his accordion and started playing a song, and Sean quickly joined in with his guitar. Within a short time, the crowd around them kept getting larger and all hands were joining in what quickly became a Newfoundland kitchen party, albeit without the cod tongues and the wood stove. The video went viral, and the story was carried on all our national news networks with extensive coverage on social media. I encourage all of you to search for “Newfoundland kitchen party in Toronto airport” on YouTube — and please do so quickly before Bill C-11 passes because the crowd at the CRTC may not consider it Canadian content.

In the meantime, Sean Sullivan has turned the success of the Toronto airport video into a top-quality tourism product called “Sullivan’s Songhouse,” located in the town of Calvert on the Southern Shore. You can easily find out all about the song house on the internet as well, and I extend an invitation today for you to pay a visit and participate in your own old-fashioned kitchen party. To avoid any disappointment, though, I would advise you to book early — it’s a busy place.

While we in Newfoundland and Labrador continue to look to the future, we never forget our past, and, while life brings many challenges, coming together at a Newfoundland kitchen party, surrounded by music and friends, will turn any grey, foggy day into a ray of sunshine and a wonderful and treasured memory.

Thank you.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate), pursuant to notice of January 31, 2023, moved:

That, notwithstanding any provision of the Rules, previous order, or usual practice, until end of the day on June 23, 2023, any joint committee be authorized to hold hybrid meetings, with the provisions of the order of February 10, 2022, concerning such meetings, having effect; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that house accordingly.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, pursuant to rule 4-13(3), I would like to inform the Senate that as we proceed with Government Business, the Senate will address the items in the following order: consideration of Motion No. 79, consideration of Motion No. 78, followed by all remaining items in the order that they appear on the Order Paper.

[Translation]

Hon. Denise Batters: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to the third reading of Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Bill.

After 31 years, it is undoubtedly time to update the Broadcasting Act. Media and technology in Canada have changed significantly throughout that time. But the Trudeau government’s Bill C-11 doesn’t really modernize the Broadcasting Act; it just takes an already outdated framework and transposes it onto the modern digital world where it doesn’t fit. Of course, the Trudeau government has used this opportunity to meddle in the free and democratic flow of information to Canadians online — an opportunity this government could simply never pass up.

In the last parliament, the Liberal government introduced Bill C-10: a bill seen to give the CRTC the power to regulate free expression of content on the internet. That bill died on the Order Paper when the Prime Minister called his unnecessary election in 2021.

But a near carbon copy of it was resurrected as Bill C-11 in this Parliament. I had participated in one of the Senate Transport and Communications Committee marathon three-hour clause‑by-clause meetings on this bill, and witnessed first-hand what a disaster this bill is.

The government claims that Bill C-11 will not regulate everyday use of social media, including amateur content, implying that it will not apply to individual creators. However, the government has inserted clause 4.2(2) of the bill, which allows the CRTC to make regulations regarding any program that “generates revenues” — which effectively can include those individual Canadian YouTube and TikTok creators.

At the same time, delegating the government’s regulation-making authority to the CRTC allows the Trudeau government to once again dodge accountability for its actions and decisions. If controversy arises from any of the “independent” CRTC’s regulations, the government will claim distance. Conveniently, the CRTC itself is not known for its transparency. It shares this trait with the Trudeau government.

One witness, Monica Auer, the Executive Director of the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications, described the CRTC this way at the Senate committee’s pre-study on Bill C-11:

In terms of accountability and transparency, the problem with the CRTC right now is that it is not making its decisions public. Every year, it’s publishing dozens of decisions that you can’t see because there’s no hyperlink and they don’t publish. When we say that the CRTC is transparent, it is simply not. It is holding public hearings without witnesses. . . . when you talk about the transfer of ownership of half of B.C.’s radio stations through an administrative decision and no public hearing, I think I would challenge the notion that the CRTC is (a) transparent, (b) open and (c) accountable. It is not.

If the government wants to regulate Canadian user content on the internet, it should admit to this. Canadians deserve to know what the aim is here, and the government should be held accountable for that policy decision. Hiding behind vaguely worded legislation that delegates decision making to a supposedly “independent” board that holds closed-door meetings and only answers back to the minister is not transparent or accountable.

When Bill C-11 reached the Senate last June, its sponsor, Senator Dawson, didn’t even speak to it for three months. When he finally did speak, he used up all of his 45 minutes of speaking time and, therefore, other senators had minimal chance to ask him questions.

The Leader of the Government in the Senate didn’t even give a speech on the bill at second reading, again denying senators the opportunity to ask the government questions on this legislation.

All this together has to make us stop and wonder, honourable senators: Why is this Trudeau government so deathly afraid of scrutiny?

Ultimately, Bill C-11 is the Trudeau government’s method of achieving indirectly what it does not have the political will to do directly. Currently, diverse Canadian content producers are finding major success online, effectively promoting themselves directly to a global audience without gatekeepers or intermediaries.

With Bill C-11, the Trudeau government seeks to insert itself into the middle of that process and impose regulations. It’s like that old political joke: The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

The government’s Canadian content regulations will have a devastating effect on the very Canadian users the government professes to be seeking to promote. There is a concern that if Canadian content is promoted to Canadian audiences, it will be considered an unfair advantage to Canadian content producers and that platforms like YouTube, for example, will then limit the international exposure of those Canadian accounts out of a desire for fairness to other users.

Similarly, other countries may implement similar content restrictions on their own domestic users in retaliation, thereby lowering potential Canadian audiences.

Another problem is for niche content producers. While the potential audience for a creator may be only a few thousand within Canada, there may be a much larger audience of potentially millions in the U.S. or worldwide. The provisions of Bill C-11 could impede niche content creators from accessing that larger global market.

For Canadian content producers that rely on foreign audiences — those offering tourism content, for example — Bill C-11 may direct content at the wrong target audience. This creates one of the biggest problems with Bill C-11: By pushing Canadian content on Canadian users rather than allowing for organic choice, a mismatch may be created for a social media user, making it more likely that they will ignore, navigate away from or downvote the content. Doing so will negatively affect the algorithm, and that Canadian creator’s video will therefore be less likely to be shown again. In this respect, creating these restrictions around Canadian content to promote Canadian work may end up having the exact opposite effect.

Why is the Trudeau government insisting on limiting Canada’s creators in this way, honourable senators? Canadian content producers have actually been quite successful online. It’s like this government is trying to find answers in search of a problem that doesn’t exist.

Even for Canadian creators with well-established careers, social media platforms offer Canadian artists additional opportunities to market their works long after their initial popularity. For example, platforms like TikTok have created the opportunity for a second comeback for songs by Canadian artists that first topped the charts years ago. The Weeknd’s hit “Die For You” first became a hit in 2016 but has re-emerged in the top 10 currently, thanks to exposure on TikTok. Vancouver rock band Mother Mother found similar success in 2020 with their 2008 hit song “Hayloft” because of the app. Such opportunities can help to sustain Canadian artists in a saturated and competitive market. Most importantly, this success hasn’t come as the result of algorithmic manipulation but, rather, organically.

New and diverse Canadian entertainers and content providers are already finding great success in the democratization of the current online space. The only price of admission is access to an internet connection and an expansive imagination.

Some of the top YouTubers in Canada include such creators as Evan Fong of Toronto, of Asian descent; his channel has more than 25.8 million viewers. Lilly Singh of Punjabi descent from Scarborough was ranked third in the Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid YouTubers; she currently has 14.6 million viewers. Lauren Riihimaki of LaurDIY is of Finnish, Ukrainian and Japanese descent; she has over 8.42 million viewers on her channel. Shina Novalinga, a young throat singer from Nunavik living in Montreal, has more than 4.1 million followers on TikTok. Stef Sanjati — who is trans, has Waardenberg syndrome and is partially deaf — is of Croatian and French background. She has more than half a million subscribers on YouTube.

I could go on and on. Many of Canada’s most successful online creators come from diverse communities and export their unique content around the globe without any assistance or interference from the government. What Canadian creators need, in fact, is for the government to get out of their way.

In my own hometown of Regina, we have the perfect example of a flourishing Canadian success story that might never have happened if these provisions in Bill C-11 were in place. Our own TikTok celebrity, JUNO-nominated musician and creator Hitesh Sharma, better known as Tesher, built his music career online, first as a kid from his parents’ home in Regina. He’s now an international star with his songs viewed hundreds of millions of times on TikTok. Last fall, he wrote a column about how Bill C-11 would have affected the path of his career, and I wanted to read it to you today.

Tesher wrote:

TikTok gave my music a global audience; Bill C-11 threatens that path.

There is a moment during the Junos this year that will stick with me forever.

I was performing Jalebi Baby with Simu Liu, and the crowd was singing along. About a minute into the performance, we exchanged a look, turned to the crowd, and broke into Bhangra dance. The smile on my face said it all: Pure joy.

That joy was tempered when I learned about Bill C-11, which will soon be voted on in the Senate. If passed as is, it could prevent digital-first Canadian artists from achieving that same success — and joy — I felt.

My musical journey started in my hometown of Regina circa 2008, a kid messing around on a computer mixing Bollywood songs with hip-hop tracks. I learned the music industry through trial and error because I didn’t have the money or connections that open doors. What I did have was determination and an Internet connection.

Eventually, I found TikTok. I loved the platform immediately and loved seeing people all over the world sharing, remixing and mashing up content. There are no gatekeepers on TikTok. If your content is good and engaging, it finds an audience.

Not only could I share my music with the world, but I could build a community that could engage with me and with my music. For a self-taught Indian kid from Saskatchewan, with no industry connections, TikTok was a game-changer.

While I’m Canadian, my music first got noticed outside of Canada. My first global hit Jalebi Baby includes the Indian influences of my childhood, but also hints of reggaeton, salsa, Middle Eastern drums and Eastern European synths.

I sing in Hindi, Punjabi and English. My music draws on global influences and musical traditions, so it benefited from being discovered globally.

My journey is less traditional than the typical path into the music industry, and there may have been no path for me at all without the access and freedom that come from being a digital-first creator. Those two things, access and freedom, simply weren’t available to artists like me — who don’t fit a certain mould.

And I’m far from alone. Some of the most exciting voices I’ve discovered in the last couple years, Canadian artists like Jessia and Johnny Orlando, have gained global followings and signed record deals, fuelled by their ability to reach a massive audience through TikTok.

Bill C-11 threatens that low-barrier path — one based on talent and audience preference, rather than government-established quotas — by subjecting platforms like TikTok and the creators using it to outdated broadcasting and Canadian content rules.

I’m building a career and exporting Canadian content globally despite those rules, not because of them. This path is what we should all want for Canadian artists. We want them to have the freedom to showcase globally our diverse, authentic, Canadian culture.

Bill C-11 would limit that reach by requiring creators to prioritize government criteria for domestic distribution over making content optimized for global audiences.

Within a year of being produced, Jalebi Baby was streaming on multiple platforms, including Canadian radio. I collaborated with megastar Jason Derulo on the video, was nominated for breakthrough artist of the year at the Junos and then, there I was, performing live.

The nomination was a huge honour, but to hit a Bhangra dance routine on national TV during Canada’s biggest music night was unforgettable. I could never have imagined seeing someone who looked and sounded like me on stage when I was a kid.

That’s why I’m eager to protect opportunities and offer inspiration to the next generation of Canadians making music or art tutorials or comedy sketches. Aspiring creators should have the same chance I did to live their dream.

This should be what it’s all about, honourable senators — giving Canadian artists and musicians and entertainers and journalists the opportunity to share their gifts with the world. We all want that. The world needs more Canada, but we don’t achieve that by helicopter parenting Canadian talent. We don’t give Canadian content producers the opportunity to thrive by choking them with regulations. Bill C-11 not only puts our Canadian digital content producers at a distinct disadvantage, but it may put a spike through many of their careers. It may prevent young kids like Hitesh Sharma — or Tesher — from messing around with music on their computers in their homes in places like Regina across this country from ever reaching their dreams.

That is why I will be voting against Bill C-11, and I encourage you to vote against it, too. Let’s give our Canadian content producers the freedom to compete, the freedom to achieve and the freedom to excel. Let’s give the world more Canada while also giving Canadians more freedom.

Thank you.

Hon. Percy E. Downe: Therefore, honourable senators, in amendment, I move:

That Bill C-11, as amended, be not now read a third time, but that it be further amended

(a) in clause 28,

(i) on page 32, by adding the following after line 1:

(ii) on page 37,

(A) by replacing line 8 with the following:

(B) by adding the following after line 10:

(b) on page 41, by adding the following after line 22: