Prime Minister Mark Carney vaguely suggested that he may be open to repealing the Online News Act as an option to ensure local news sources are available to as many people as possible in emergencies.
Carney made the comments in an unrelated news conference in West 91大黄鸭 on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
The Online News Act forces big tech companies to compensate news organizations for sharing content through platforms such as Facebook and Google search. Google's parent company has cut a deal to pay for content, while Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has removed Canadian news content instead of paying.
Asked directly by a local reporter if he would consider repealing the act, Carney spoke first about the importance of CBC and Radio-Canada in providing coverage during emergencies, but then added that he also believed in the importance of ensuring that local news is "disseminated as widely and quickly as possible."
"We will look for all avenues to do that," he said. "And I understand your question. It鈥檚 part of our thinking around that."
Carney had been in the Okanagan to announce a series of new measures to help the softwood lumber industry transform to remain competitive.
The measures include up to $700 million in loan guarantees to address the immediate pressures facing the softwood lumber sector and $500 million for product and market diversification.
Other investments include the Build Canadian initiative, which prioritizes domestic materials in construction and requires companies contracting with the federal government to source Canadian lumber. The government is also planning to diversify exports of Canadian wood products and will provide $50 million for upskilling, reskilling, and income supports for more than 6,000 affected softwood lumber workers through the Labour Market Development Agreements.
