Why would they have to warn the CRTC about protecting Charter Rights in regard to Bill C-11, if it wasn’t a threat?
Time and time again, the Liberals accuse their critics of spreading “misinformation” only to later acknowledge that the concerns expressed by their critics were genuine.
The latest example was the amendments to Bill C-21.
The Liberals accused the Conservatives of spreading “misinformation” by calling the amendments a “hunting rifle ban,” only to later pull the amendments entirely and admit they were “too broad.”
And the Liberals are doing the same thing on Bill C-11.
Critics of Bill C-11 have said the legislation gives far too much power to the government when it comes to controlling what Canadians can see, say, and hear online.
Even a Trudeau-appointed Senator, along with highly-respected author Margaret Atwood, have compared it Soviet-Style censorship and state control.
The Liberals have ignored and dismissed those concerns.
But now – with C-11 having passed the Senate with amendments that are now being considered in the House of Commons – the Liberals have tacitly admitted that C-11 is indeed a threat to your rights.
According to the National Post, the Liberal government has written to the head of the CRTC to ‘ensure’ Charter rights are respected when the legislation is implemented:
“There is worry about the effect the Online Streaming Act could have on freedom of expression, and the legislation needs to be implemented in a way that’s consistent with Charter rights, the Liberal government wrote to the new chair of the CRTC.
The ongoing debate around the controversial bill has “raised a key concern amongst parliamentarians regarding freedom of expression as they look for assurance that the Bill cannot be used to stifle what Canadians say online,” says the letter to Vicky Eatrides from Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
“The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Canadians under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are of paramount importance. If Parliament adopts Bill C-11, the Government trusts that the CRTC will implement a renewed Broadcasting Act in a manner consistent with the Charter.””
What’s so interesting about this is that the Liberals are tacitly confirming that C-11 is indeed a threat to Charter rights.
If the CRTC has to be ‘warned’ to implement it in a way that is consistent with the Charter, that’s an admission that C-11 gives the government the power to violate the rights of Canadians.
The even more ironic thing here is that the CRTC reports to the Minister of Heritage and their new power and authority was given to them by the Trudeau government itself.
For the government to then pretend they are ‘concerned’ about Charter rights is absurd, given that they are the ones putting our rights in danger.
So, inadvertently or not, the Liberals have acknowledged that the concerns about Bill C-11 are true, and with even the government admitting that it’s beyond obvious that our rights and freedoms are facing serious erosion.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube
