NDP Statement on Liberal weakening of Online Streaming Act

NDP Heritage Critic Heather McPherson issued the following statement:

Yesterday, we learned that the Carney government intends to cancel the fees that U.S. streaming companies pay to support Canadian media. This is nothing more than an act of appeasement to placate Donald Trump and his tech billionaire supporters and it threatens the future of Canadian media and content.

This is a deeply troubling decision that raises serious questions about whose interests this government is prepared to defend.

U.S. technology and streaming giants earn billions of dollars from Canadian consumers. The Online Streaming Act was designed to ensure that these companies, like Canadian media companies, contribute to the creation of Canadian content and support the Canadian workers who produce it. It was about fairness, a level playing field, and protecting Canada's cultural sovereignty.

Now, the Carney Liberals are defying the Act and cancelling the fees charged to US companies, forcing Canadians to subsidize the US tech and media companies that directly compete with Canadian media.

That means fewer resources for Canadian productions, fewer opportunities for Canadian creators and workers, and greater pressure on the Canadian media sector at precisely the time it is already facing enormous challenges.

And this is not what Canadians want. Recent polling shows that 83 per cent of Canadians support the Online Streaming Act and its requirement that foreign streaming companies invest a portion of their Canadian revenues in Canadian shows and movies.

Canadians understand something this government appears to have forgotten: our cultural sovereignty matters. Canadian stories matter. Canadian jobs matter.

New Democrats stand firmly with Canadian creators, media workers and homegrown production companies. We will oppose any attempt to weaken the Online Streaming Act or undermine Canada's ability to support its own cultural sector.

The Prime Minister has a responsibility to stand up for Canadian interests. That means enforcing Canadian laws, defending Canadian workers and ensuring that the world's largest corporations pay their fair share.

Canada should not be surrendering its cultural sovereignty to appease Donald Trump or powerful U.S. tech companies. We need a government prepared to stand up for Canada, not one that backs down when it is politically convenient.