Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights
 

Industry Minister Jim Prentice came under fire during question period today by Charlie Angus who implied that the Minister of Industry was guilty of taking orders from US interests on the Canadian copyright file.

Angus:
So from here on in the only consumer rights you will have are the ones the US industry gives you. If you try to protect your rights they will come after you. Why has this government declared war on Canadian consumers?

Prentice quickly fired back, reading from the same script as his Parliamentary Secretary Colin Carrie

Prentice:
The educational exemptions are made in Canada. The format-shifting exemptions are made in Canada. The time-shifting exemptions are made in Canada. The private copying of music exemptions are made in Canada. The provisions relating to statutory damages, Mr. Speaker are made in Canada. All of these provisions of the Bill are uniquely Canadian.

Unfortunately, Prentice fails to mention that the anti-circumvention provisions included in Bill C-61 were born in the United States and made worse in Canada. These anti-circumvention provisions undermine each of the “made-in-Canada” provisions and exceptions the Minister of Industry was touting on the floor.

Just when you thought the master of closing salutations couldn’t top his hang-up mid-interview with CBC’s “Search Engine” Prentice closes his supposed answer with gem of a statement:

Prentice:
My friend’s comments about the USA DMCA are NDP BS.

Angus goes on to commit the support of the NDP to fight the Canadian DMCA and to protect Canadian consumers and creators. Something clearly not high on this minority Government’s agenda.

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