News Release

Trudeau trying to ignore Senate’s safeguards on Bill C-11

Jay Goldberg Mar 08, 2023 | Federal

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on all members of Parliament and senators to oppose today’s motion that would reject most of the Senate’s amendments on Bill C-11.

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won’t even listen to his own handpicked senators who are trying to make sure government bureaucrats can’t filter Canadians’ social media feeds,” said Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director of the CTF. “All MPs must show Canadians they value our freedom of expression and reject this motion.”

Today, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriquez is tabling a motion in the House of Commons to reject most of the Senate’s changes to Bill C-11.

Senators Paula Simons and Julie Miville-Duchêne, both appointed by Trudeau, authored the key amendment to Bill C-11 that the government is rejecting. This amendment prevents government bureaucrats from filtering user-generated content.

“Bill C-11 poses a major threat to Canadians’ ability to hold the government accountable,” said Goldberg. “The fact that the government is trying to ram through this bill despite major concerns from key Trudeau-appointed senators should set off alarm bells across the country.”

Bill C-11 would hand the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission the power to determine what Canadians can see and say online under the guise of promoting Canadian content. Experts, including lawyers, interest groups, academics, journalists, civil liberties organizations and Canadian content creators have warned of the dangers posed by Bill C-11 should it become law without any changes.

 “MPs and senators can stop Trudeau’s quest for censorship by demanding that the government accept the Senate’s amendments,” said Goldberg.