Strong Leadership, Yes…..Mistress

“Our Government will improve the protection of cultural and intellectual property rights in Canada, including copyright reform.” This single, seemingly innocuous sentence, has set the Canadian Copyright world reeling,

If speculation proves correct we are facing a profound threat to how we have always viewed a truly Canadian Freedom of Speech. How does this new copyright legislation jive with the major themes set out in the Speech from the Throne?

Strong Leadership and Canadian Sovereignty ?

It is obvious that this new legislation is being introduced under pressure from (and effectively written by) the USA. Exaggerated allegations and erroneous statements have produced a deadly hush from the Conservatives. United States Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, recently claimed that “Canada is known for having the weakest copyright protection in the G7″. In the wake of deafening silence from our government we could read this to mean that the Conservative government is unwilling, uninterested or simply too weak to defend our sovereignty when it comes to copyright law. Any defense of Canada by the Conservatives in the face of outrageous allegations has been lacking. In fact, as Howard Knopf points out, taking up where Stephen Harper fails, Canada’s copyright law is stronger and better than U.S.’sIs this what the Conservatives see as ’strong leadership’ ? Our government has not just given up the fight, they didn’t really even enter it. As Canadians we are being sold to the highest bidder or highest tipper,in the case of CRIA.

The Harper spin doctors will have a tough job making this submissive legislation appear as strong leadership. It will be a legislation based on claims that are not grounded in fact or reality. It will be a legislation that will see long term and profound damages for the average Canadian.

Sovereignty is not simply a line on a map, sovereignty is only possible when one has autonomy. If, as predicted, this legislation is written by Americans, for Americans in the USA’s best interest, then when asked if they are in favor of the new legislation the Conservative ranks will likely answer a ressounding “Yes…….mistress”