QUESTION PERIOD — Canadian Heritage
Media Support
May 1, 2020
My question is for the government representative.
This Sunday, we will be celebrating World Press Freedom Day. However, in order to enjoy freedom, one must first survive.
Since the start of the pandemic, 200 Canadian media outlets have had to close their doors, suspend printing their publications, lay people off and release fewer news updates.
Just this week, Postmedia announced that it is permanently closing 15 local papers in Manitoba and Ontario. This despite the government’s promise to inject nearly $600 million into our media outlets. That was announced 18 months ago, but we’re still waiting.
Here is my question: Our media outlets are still playing an essential role in informing Canadians, so what emergency measures will the government take given that some $250 billion has already been pledged under various emergency programs?
Thank you, colleague, for that question.
Clearly, the health of our media, including print and online media, is important for our country and even for our democracy. It’s also clear that, even before the crisis, there were pressures and changes in this sector, which make it increasingly susceptible to the global changes that we’re all familiar with.
The government is taking the current situation very seriously and is focusing all of its efforts on the health and safety of Canadians, including journalists. This issue is a priority. All of the government’s efforts are gradual. We are taking a step-by-step approach. We have no choice because the situation is changing so quickly.
About a month ago, on March 30, the government announced that the CRTC would provide $30 million in relief to cover broadcasters’ licence fees. The government also wants to counter the drop in advertising revenue. It committed to investing $30 million, which should benefit a great many Canadian media organizations.
If I may, Senator Gold, I have another question. In the middle of the pandemic, the Australian government adopted emergency measures forcing Google and Facebook to pay significant royalties to the Australian media. It is indeed possible to act during the pandemic. There is another solution that I found very innovative. The fast-food chain Mary Brown’s Chicken & Taters, which I was unfamiliar with, decided to cover the cost of the paywall put up by the major Postmedia daily newspapers to allow people, in other words its customers, to have access to complete and reliable information. That is the type of solution the federal government could adopt in the short term to give the media a bit of breathing room.
Thank you, Senator Miville-Dechêne for that additional information. I wasn’t familiar with that restaurant chain. As you know, the government has long been working with corporations such as Facebook and Google in a number of different contexts. Other companies have done the same to ensure that Canadians have access to essential information.
I will have a look at the issue and come back on this matter. I can assure the chamber that when it comes to the precarious situation of the media, the government is well aware of the issue and will have more to say in due course.
