The Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions welcomes the tabling yesterday by the Minister of Canadian Heritage of a motion following the work done by the Senate on Bill C-11. The CDCE is pleased to see that the requests made by the cultural sector have been heard by the government, which rejected problematic amendments and retained those that improved the bill. The CDCE now urges the elected officials to work together to ensure that the motion is adopted without delay and that C-11 can finally move towards Royal Assent.

“After more than two years of analysis and debate, it is urgent that Bill C-11 be adopted. We must put an end to the unfair advantage granted to foreign online businesses, active in our market, which have been bypassing our laws for too many years now,” said Hélène Messier, co-chair of the CDCE.

” Too often partisan maneuvers have slown  down the passage of the bill. We are finally at the finish line: we must cross it as quickly as possible! Rigorous work has been done by Parliamentarians and Senators. We now call on all parties to unite so that Canada can finally have a modern tool to protect the diversity of its cultural expressions,” said Bill Skolnik, Co-Chair of the CDCE.

The Broadcasting Act is being modernized to ensure that online companies, like traditional ones, are required to contribute to the funding and promotion of Canadian films, programs and music. The CDCE, while disappointed with some aspects of the bill, notably the inclusion in a key section of a disturbing double standard in favor of foreign online companies and the near-disappearance of an appeal to the Governor-in-Council mechanism, supports this modernization, which is essential to the sustainability of Canadian cultural sovereignty.

– 30 –

Information

Marie-Julie Desrochers, Executive Director
438-872-7282 – mjdesrochers@cdc-ccd.org