For the first time since I started writing this blog (in 2006), Canada will be governed by a majority government. There have been successive governments led by Liberal Paul Martin and Conservative Stephen Harper who were restricted in their ability to implement their agendas by the lack of votes in the House. A number of years ago, I met with a local Liberal MP to ask about his perspectives on the report from the Telecom Policy Review Panel. I suggested that there could be an interesting opportunity for the Opposition to work in cooperation with the Government, given that the Panel was created by a Liberal government and delivered its report to the Conservatives. “Tut, tut – that isn’t how we work,” was his response. Well, these are different times now.
Prime Minister Harper will now enjoy the confidence of Parliament to advance his platform; this could lead to significant changes in the advancement of Canada’s Digital Economy. What will a Conservative majority mean for policy and legislation impacting the communications and information technology sector? Last night, Cartt.ca editor Greg O’Brien tweeted:
So… What happens now with telecom foreign ownership? the CBC? #UBB? Copyright? What else on the telecom/TV/culture front?? #crtc?
Add lawful intercept, spectrum policy, the Policy Direction, vertical integration, Canadian content in a new media environment, etc. What would you add to the agenda?
Following up on earlier posts [such as here and here], I observed that
Canadians voted pro-internet: for only party saying ‘net evolves without gov’t heavy hand; consumers best protected by competition #cdntech
Prior to the election, the government was preparing to release its national strategy for a digital economy. I have written extensively on that theme in the past few months. looking for a comprehensive agenda, as a search will reveal. At The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit, our conference theme is Building The Foundation For Canada’s Digital Economy. Attracting the senior-most professionals from around the globe, The 2011 Canadian Telecom Summit provides a forum for exchanging views, sharing ideas, challenging assumptions and planning for the future.
Canada’s premiere communications industry event is just 4 weeks away. Have you registered yet?
Download the conference brochure here.
Hello,
I enjoy reading your blog.
The only reason that I am commenting is that you mentioned CBC in this posting. I am eager to see what Harper and the Conservatives can do, although I did not vote for them.
One thing that scares me A LOT is if we start to see a lack of support for the CBC by the Conservative government.
CBC radio is the most beautiful broadcasting system that I have ever come across in my travels across Europe and North America. It has become a significant part of my daily life when it comes to connecting with Canadians coast to coast, staying informed and just having an information provider that is NOT influenced by the private domain.
I absolutely love the diversity of opinions, the fair reporting, and the broad perspective of topics covered.
Thank you and I look forward to reading your blog.