Tory MP calls CRTC decision-making power a ‘democratic problem’

The Conservative critic for Canadian heritage said the CRTC’s regulatory authority is a “serious, democratic problem,” following the commission’s recent decision to raise financial contribution guidelines for online streamers. According to MP Rachael Thomas, CRTC regulations forcing major U.S. streaming companies to allocate 15 per cent of annual Canadian revenues (up from five per cent) to fund domestic programming will result in higher subscription costs for individual consumers. “The question must be asked, who will pay for this?” said Thomas (Lethbridge, Alta.) in the House of Commons on Thursday. “It won’t be government, it won’t be CRTC bureaucrats, and it certainly won’t be Liberal ministers.” “Instead, it will be everyday, hard-working Canadians.” As such, Thomas and her Conservative colleagues have labelled the regulator’s decision as a “Netflix tax” — which they suggest should not be determined by third-party agencies. “For centuries, parliamentary democracy has been built on a simple principle,” said Thomas. “Taxes should only be imposed by elected representatives accountable to the people, not by unelected regulators such as the CRTC, not by bureaucrats operating at an arm’s length from the minister.” “Yet, the Liberal-appointed CRTC has effectively imposed a massive new tax burden on Canadians without Parliament even voting on it.” On Thursday, MPs debated a Conservative motion, brought forward by Thomas, calling on the Liberal government to “use their powers under the Broadcasting Act to reject” the CRTC’s decision. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spoke on the motion in the House chamber, during which he said it is “impossible for any government agency to raise taxes without the approval of Parliament.” “Parliament exists today precisely because the Englishmen who created the tradition made it impossible for the crown to tax what the people had not approved, this is an 800-year old rule,” said the Conservative leader, who called on the government to “stop running away from their own policy decisions.” In response to Thomas’s comments, Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Man.) questioned whether the Official Opposition respected the role of Canada’s broadcasting regulator. “When we established the CRTC many years ago, the Conservatives had an opportunity when they were in government, if they didn’t like it, to get rid of it,” said Lamoureux. “They could’ve brought forward legislation to do so, they chose not to.” “What I’d be interested in hearing from the Conservative Party of today is — do they support the CRTC?” The CRTC was established by Parliament in 1968, under newly-minted Liberal prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Poilievre’s office did not immediately respond to The Wire Report’s request for comment. The CRTC’s new streaming roles were issued as part of the regulator’s ongoing implementation of the Online Streaming Act, introduced by Justin Trudeau’s government in 2022 to overhaul the country’s broadcasting framework. “The Liberal government has the power under the Broadcasting Act to step in and stop this streaming tax immediately,” said Conservative MP Andrew Lawton (Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, Ont.). “They have the power to do this.” However, while cabinet has the ability to rescind CRTC rulings related to telecommunications, under the Broadcasting Act, it can only force the regulator to reconsider broadcasting decisions related to licensing. In response, Lamoureux emphasized how the federal cabinet “does not have the authority to do what the Conservative Party is asking.” Lawton suggested nothing is preventing the Liberals from introducing legislation to repeal the Online Streaming Act, formerly known as Bill C-11, which has faced consistent opposition from Conservatives. “That should be the first order of business,” said Lawton. “The Liberal government tries to play coy on these things.” “ the CRTC is made up of Liberal appointees, the Online Streaming Act is Liberal legislation, all of this is a consequence of a Liberal bill.” In a statement, CRTC spokesperson Mirabella Salem said the commission is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that is "fulfilling the mandate given to it by Parliament.” “Through the Online Streaming Act, Parliament entrusted the CRTC with the mandate to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework and ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content,” read the statement. The legislation, as well as the recent CRTC decision, has faced pushback from the White House and U.S. business interests ahead of the forthcoming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, set to begin in July. U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade lead has repeatedly identified the policy as an “irritant” in bilateral discussions and leading industry groups representing companies like Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., and Amazon.com Inc. have asked American lawmakers to investigate whether the legislation “discriminates” against U.S. companies. Various Conservative MPs cited trade implications in speeches calling for the CRTC decision to be nixed, though representatives from the Bloc Québécois and NDP spoke out against the Conservative motion, which Bloc MP Martin Champoux (Drummond, Que.) called “absolutely ridiculous” in French. The motion, which is non-binding, appears likely to be defeated when it comes to a vote in the House next week. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Tory MP calls CRTC decision-making power a ‘democratic problem’

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|May 28, 2026

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Tory MP calls CRTC decision-making power a ‘democratic problem’

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