The Member of Parliament for Peace River-Westlock calls a bill recently put through a committee, disturbing.
Arnold Viersen is referring to Bill C-10, which would expand the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandate to regulate content online, including major social media platforms.
“I had spoken to the bill around three-to-four months ago in Parliament, and after the first vote, it went to committee,” explains Viersen.
“At committee, they kind of expanded the mandate of the bill to allow for the CRTC to regulate content on the big social media platforms.”
He says he feels the bill is an attack on freedom of speech.
“It is disturbing around the free speech here in Canada; it is under attack at university campuses and now we see it being threatened on social media.”
Viersen says fellow Tory MP, Garnett Genuis, introduced an amendment he felt would enhance the bill, but it was rejected by the committee.
“He (Genuis) introduced an amendment to ensure state broadcasters and state actors were not able to use social media to intimidate Canadians, and that did not pass,” points out Viersen.
Viersen also talked to the Trending 55 Newsroom about a virtual town hall coming up next week on increasing access to high-speed internet for rural residents.
It will be hosted along with Edmonton area MP, Dane Lloyd on May 6 at 6:00 PM MST.
According to Viersen, around nine percent of Rural Alberta has access to download speeds 50 mbps and 10 mbps upload speeds.
– Kenny Trenton, Trending 55 Newsroom
