SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Senator Gold: Thank you for your question, and, given your experience in public service and regulation, thank you also for underlining the regulatory science that requires a certain amount of flexibility.

The government’s reassurances will come in the policy directive upon which it has made a clear commitment in this place and elsewhere. That will give those folks — and all the folks we’ve heard from — an opportunity to also provide input, as they will when the CRTC carries out its consultations around those matters, to say nothing of the regulatory process.

The record of our debates, our Senate study, my speech and other speeches will also be part of the record. It will be part of the record that the courts and government will look at. We have the ability to both receive reports in this house thanks to the bill and to your amendment, Senator Quinn, and the ability, because we’re the masters of our own house, to hold the government to account. Committees can do follow-up studies. We have many tools in our arsenal to make sure that those voices receive a respectful hearing, which they have.

The government and the two opposition parties took a different view of the well-intentioned and creative amendment, but it did not find favour with the majority of members of the House.

But, yes, I think we have done our job. We’ve done our job well. The government has made a clear commitment to make sure it’s scoped out, and I have confidence that it will keep its word.

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