Rachel - I want to love you. But c'mon. A few factual issues with this piece:
The Online Streaming Act does not create a direct tax on Canadians. It imposes financial contribution requirements on large streaming companies. Whether those costs are ultimately passed on to consumers is a prediction, not an established fact.
You also blur the distinction between a tax, a regulatory levy, and mandated spending requirements. Those are not the same thing legally or politically.
There is also little evidence that the Act will determine what Canadians can watch. The debate is really about discoverability and the promotion of Canadian content, not government control over individual viewing choices.
There are valid concerns about this Act—including increased regulatory complexity, potential impacts on competition, unintended consequences for creators, and whether the CRTC is the right body to oversee online platforms. Those arguments are strong enough on their own.
You don’t need to twist facts to make the case that this legislation is deeply flawed. Canadians are capable of evaluating the policy based on what it actually does, and I suspect many would appreciate a debate grounded in accuracy rather than exaggeration. I say all this with kindness because creating alternate facts kills trust and prevents governments from getting elected.