Liberal MPs promise streamers will still have to fund Cancon as Ottawa develops CRTC policy direction

As Canada’s cultural industry anxiously awaits a new federal funding policy, Liberal MPs are delivering a message to stakeholders — large U.S. streamers will still be required to open their wallets to help produce Cancon. On Thursday, the House of Commons debated a Bloc Québécois motion calling on the government to maintain recent CRTC decisions under the Online Streaming Act that imposed Cancon contribution requirements for companies like Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Apple Inc., which could annually generate billions for Canadian cultural groups. “The motion we tabled today is not complicated,” said Bloc MP Martin Champoux (Drummond, Que.) in French. “We want to denounce this government’s abandoning of culture, which seems almost systematic.” “Since entering office, this government has done nothing but backtrack on culture.” In 2022, Justin Trudeau’s administration introduced the Online Streaming Act, also known as Bill C-11, under which the CRTC determined earlier this year streamers would be forced to allocate 15 per cent of Canadian revenues to help produce domestic news and entertainment media, marking a significant increase from the commission’s initial five per cent threshold. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) government asked the CRTC to review the 15 per cent decision and, as first reported by The Wire Report, signalled an intention to completely “eliminate” the five per cent base requirements. The CRTC-mandated payments had yet to flow through to eligible funding groups because the transfers had been bogged down in yearslong judicial disputes between streaming companies and cultural stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Liberals pledged $600 million in annual government funding for the sector (which has yet to be dispersed), and promised to issue the CRTC a new policy directive focused on “affordability.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (Battle River—Crowfoot, Alta.) had previously asked the Liberals to reverse the CRTC’s decision, which he equated to a ‘Netflix tax’ that would be passed onto individual consumers through increased subscription fees. The rules had also become a sticking point in bilateral trade discussions with the U.S., where industry and political power brokers had repeatedly taken issue with the funding requirements. “For years, even the Liberals fought for a system to bring fairness into the broadcasting and cultural sectors,” said Champoux. “The outcome of that was give the CRTC the responsibility to implement a system that would ensure that American digital giants… contribute adequately to culture.” “But now, the cultural sector is getting crumbs despite the urgency for adequate, fair funding that is predictable sustainable.” Martin Champoux, Bloc Québécois Critic for Heritage, Arts and Culture, speaks at a press conference at the Sir John A. Macdonald building on July 5, 2023. (photo Andrew Meade). In response, various Liberal MPs insisted the $600 million, which is widely expected to feature in next month’s federal budget, is meant to provide “immediate” relief for the cultural sector, and streaming companies will still be subjected to mandated Cancon funding requirements. “Unfortunately, the Online Streaming Act has not given all of the results that were intended,” said Liberal MP David Myles (Fredericton—Oromocto, N.B.), who also serves as parliamentary secretary to the minister of Canadian identity. “The contributions that were intended to support our cultural sector were never made they were locked in the court for years.” “The CRTC’s original model did not allow us to support the cultural sector as intended in Quebec and the rest of Canada.” Myles added that the streamer levies have not been “cancelled,” and the Liberals still agree that “online platforms have to contribute to cultural production in Canada.” “But we’re taking some time to find a new policy direction, also offering immediate support to the sector.” The Juno-Award-winning singer turned rookie MP also teased “further investments” in the budget, set to be released on Nov. 5. It remains unclear when the Liberals will unveil its new policy direction, which was initially proposed in June. Hermine Landry, a spokesperson for Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), has repeatedly told The Wire Report that more information will be shared “in due course.” Newly elected Liberal MP David Myles attends an orientation session put on by House of Commons staff on May 21, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Liberal MP Juanita Nathan (Pickering—Brooklin, Ont.) also participated in Thursday’s debate, during which she said, “for more than half a century, Canada’s broadcasting system has been guided by a fundamental principle: those who benefit from access to Canadian markets should also contribute to its development.” “The objective was not to preserve the system exactly as it existed in the past, but to ensure it remained relevant and effective in a digital age,” she said. “ all broadcasters, whether traditional or online, should make a meaningful contribution to Canada’s broadcasting ecosystem.” The Bloc motion is non-binding, meaning the Liberals will not be required to follow its proposals even if it receives support from a majority of MPs. The motion is expected to come to a vote on October 26. Carney’s cultural rhetoric was politically convenient: Champoux While the Liberals have spoken out against the CRTC’s 15 per cent decision, Carney and Miller have both reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting cultural sovereignty in Canada. In August, trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. abruptly collapsed after Canadian officials reportedly took issue with various requests related to discoverability and French-language protections. “Fundamentally, cultural sovereignty is about protecting who we are, protecting our artists, protecting our country, protecting our ability to tell our own stories in our own languages,” said Miller in a speech earlier this week. “In the context of the very tense trade negotiations with the United States, we have been clear that we will not compromise our sovereignty, our cultural sovereignty, and the protection of French and the discoverability of our culture.” However, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer has said the rift in negotiations was not about culture or the French-language, as he said the White House was willing to modify its position on both issues. Champoux was dubious that the collapse of trade discussions boiled down to cultural measures, as the Liberals repeatedly suggested. When asked by The Wire Report about the government’s rhetoric around standing up for Canada’s cultural industry during negotiations, Champoux asked, “were you at the table?” “That’s what said,” continued Champoux. “But what we hear, and not that I give any credibility to the Trump administration, but the first reaction they had was, ‘no, we never talked about that. We never asked for anything about culture or language.’” Instead, Champoux theorized that Ottawa’s rhetoric was related to domestic politics and, in particular, last month’s byelection in the Quebec riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. “I think it was the right thing to tell people there,” said the Bloquiste. “It was very good timing to say something like that, but I don’t truly believe this government is a strong advocate for French culture and Quebec culture.” Liberal candidate Daniel Gobeil won the byelection by nearly 6,000 votes over the Bloc’s Caroline Dubé, flipping a seat previously held by Conservative MP Richard Martel, who had taken an appointment to the Senate. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Liberal MPs promise streamers will still have to fund Cancon as Ottawa develops CRTC policy direction

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By Davis Legree
|October 22, 2026

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Liberal MPs promise streamers will still have to fund Cancon as Ottawa develops CRTC policy direction

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