Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Minister, your mandate letter says that you have to work to advance amendments that entitle workers employed by digital platforms to job protections under the Canada Labour Code. I am not sure exactly what is expected from you. Could you tell us which digital platforms are under the jurisdiction of the Canada Labour Code, and what is the job protection you think digital platform workers who are under federal jurisdiction do not have? Finally, could you tell us when those amendments will be tabled?

Senator Housakos: If I understand correctly, senator, you’re essentially saying that journalists need these platforms in order to magnify their work and have more reach. By the same token, they would like to quantify how much monetization is out there in order for them to get their share. That’s the problem.

This is where I’m not quite sure if this bill achieves that goal, and I’m not quite sure how you actually put a number on it.

To go back to copyright, my understanding — I’m not a copyright expert — is the moment the journalist puts out — into the public sphere — their article, for example, then they’ve made it public. It’s being disseminated on all these platforms with their consent because, to your point, they want to magnify their article.

In both those cases, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You either jump into that milieu or you don’t — where I come from.

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