Rachael Thomas moved, — That the committee immediately undertake 4 hearings on the government’s decision to force social media services and podcasts to register with the government’s Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and that the committee hears from: the Minister of Canadian Heritage for 2 hours, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the CRTC, the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage and impacted stakeholders, including podcast hosts and other witnesses deemed relevant by the committee, and that the committee report to the House.

A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed motion.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the motion inadmissible since a substantive motion was already being debated.

Whereupon, Rachael Thomas appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained, by a show of hands: YEAS: 7; NAYS: 4.

Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was sustained.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Martin Champoux moved on Thursday, September 28, 2023 which read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of six (6) meetings regarding the protection of freedom of expression and the means the Government should have at its disposal to ensure its exercise

Debate arose thereon

It was agreed, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Rachael Thomas.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Marilyn Gladu, Rachael Thomas, Arnold Viersen, Kevin Waugh — 4;

NAYS: Martin Champoux, Michael Coteau, Anju Dhillon, Anna Gainey, Lisa Hepfner, Peter Julian, Taleeb Noormohamed — 7.

At 9:15 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:18 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The witnesses answered questions.

The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

The Chair called Clause 1.

Clause 1, as amended, carried.

Rachael Thomas moved, — Given that, the government is desperate to police and control speech, freedom of expression is fundamental to a free society, the government rammed Bill C-11, the online censorship bill, through every step of the way, ignoring the concerns of Canadians and Canadian content creators, to force it into law, the government has given itself the power to control what Canadians can see, hear, and say online, Canadians must always stand up for their right to freely express themselves and access information of their choosing without government censorship, the government is now requiring podcasts and social media services to register with the government as an overreach of Bill C-11 and a drastic affront to free expression, it is the opinion of the committee to repeal Bill C-11 and that the committee report this finding to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

Lisa Hepfner moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Martin Champoux, Michael Coteau, Anju Dhillon, Anna Gainey, Lisa Hepfner, Peter Julian, Taleeb Noormohamed — 7;

NAYS: Marilyn Gladu, Rachael Thomas, Arnold Viersen, Kevin Waugh — 4.

The committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

Clause 2 carried.

The Title carried.

The Bill, as amended, was adopted.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

It was agreed, — That the proposed budget in the amount of $ 4,900, for the study of Bill S-202, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate), be adopted.

On motion of Marilyn Gladu, it was agreed, — That the committee do now adjourn.