Mr. Speaker, censoring Canadians is obviously a non-starter since our government is in the business of upholding their rights.
Bill C‑11 and Bill C‑18 were designed to restore a level playing field between the dominant digital platforms and Canadian producers and distributors of cultural and news content, respectively.
These legislative measures do not tell Canadians what cultural products to consume or restrict their access to a wide variety of Canadian and international media content. Right now, platforms are neither accountable nor transparent in how they manage harmful content, especially content that has a serious impact on children.
Our government strongly defends freedom of expression and freedom of press, two essential pillars of our democracy. Our government does not censor. We protect. We defend freedom of expression, advocate for and support Canadian media, and keep our children safe online.