Digital First Canada director addresses bullying, lobbying allegations, made by Heritage parliamentary secretary to Senate

The executive director of Digital First Canada Scott Benzie defended himself before a Senate committee studying the Online Streaming Act, after a Liberal MP accused the group for lacking transparency. The Globe and Mail published a story Tuesday – a day before Benzie was set to appear before the Senate’s Transportation and Communications committee – claiming that Heritage Minister’s Parliamentary secretary Chris Bittle wrote a letter to Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger “to launch an investigation into Digital First Canada.” Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner, who also sits on the Heritage Committee, also signed the letter. Bittle alleged that Benzie failed to disclose that his group received funding from Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and TikTok at his March appearance before the House of Commons Heritage committee. Bittle argued there was a lack of transparency about potential conflicts of interest prior to Digital First Canada’s appearance at the committee. Senator Leo Housakas asked Benzie to clear the air at Wednesday’s meeting. Benzie said his organization is lobby compliant and tabled an email sent from info@lobbycanada.gc.ca informing him that, for the purposes of the lobbying registry, only government funding must be disclosed - not financial disclosure from private industry. “I have never received a dime of government money,” he said. Benzie said that the timing of the article “is suspect.” “This is the second time I appear before a committee and before both times I have to wrestle with hit pieces in the media,” he said. Benzie then went on to say that digital creators, including himself, were “attacked” during his first appearance in March. “I was attacked in a way we have never seen before and digital creators have never seen before,” he said, referencing the March meeting where tensions rose. “A lot of digital creators have refused to come forward and speak because they see the treatment we have received,” he said. Conservative MP John Nater called out Bittle’s action Wednesday in the House of Commons stating that Bittle was attempting to intimidate a witness “in another jurisdiction,” the Senate. Benzie has been a critic of Bill C-11 arguing that “it applies yesterday's solutions for broadcasting problems, today's digital success story.” He said it raises a number of concerns for digital creators such as which voices get heard. “The bill as currently written means that the CRTC would decide which content deserves to be at the front of the line and not Canadian,” he said. Benzie said C-11’s intentions are good and it is “good” that the legislation forces online platforms to contribute financially to Canada's culture sector. “And we would support efforts to address algorithmic transparency, solutions for creator burnout and driving funding from digital platforms back into the creators responsible for its success,” he told Senators. – Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca and editing by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Digital First Canada director addresses bullying, lobbying allegations, made by Heritage parliamentary secretary to Senate

Broadcast | September 29, 2022

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Digital First Canada director addresses bullying, lobbying allegations, made by Heritage parliamentary secretary to Senate

Broadcast | September 29, 2022

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