After taking weeks to consider the Senate’s changes to the Liberals’ contentious online streaming legislation known as Bill C-11, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has confirmed he’s rejecting several of the amendments made. While the Liberals are poised to accept the majority of legislative adjustments made in the upper chamber during its longest-ever study of a piece of government legislation, they are turning down a few of the Senate’s more consequential changes and suggesting further tweaks to others. This means Bill C-11 may be heading for a legislative showdown. The long-languishing legislation is aimed at substantively updating Canada’s Broadcasting Act regime for the first time since 1991, to ensure social media and streaming giants like TikTok and Netflix are subjected to Canadian content requirements and regulations comparable to traditional broadcasters. While many in the “CanCon” music, film and television industries are backing the proposal, Bill C-11 has been the subject of heavy scrutiny from industry stakeholders, content creators and opposition MPs who fear it will result in censoring what content gets seen online.
In a message sent to the Senate, Rodriguez outlined which of the 26 amendments to 12 clauses the Liberals will be allowing. The federal government’s response is set to be debated by MPs in the House of Commons later on Wednesday. If the take-some-and-leave-some approach is accepted, Bill C-11 will pass and soon become law, allowing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to get to work on implementing the coinciding regulatory changes granting that body new powers.But, should the Senate seek to stand its ground on certain changes, the amendments may become subject of procedural ping-pong between the two chambers.”I want to thank the senators for all their work on this very important bill,” Rodriguez told reporters on Wednesday. “This is a bill that spent the most time in the Senate in the history of Canada… There’s been lots of debate.”
“And we’re accepting a vast majority of the Senate amendments but some that could create a loophole, we’re not accepting,” the minister said. Source: cbc.ca
Saturday, April 25, 2026
