Rod, spare me the civics lecture. The CRTC may be structured as an independent commission, but it exists under federal law, follows federal broadcasting policy, and operates inside the regulatory framework created by Parliament and cabinet. Pretending it floats above politics like some sacred neutral cloud is childish.
The Liberals created the policy environment. The CRTC is now trying to squeeze streaming services under that same framework. Canadians are allowed to object when unelected regulators start reaching deeper into what people watch and what companies must fund.
Pierre understands the issue perfectly: this is another cost layered onto consumers in the name of “Canadian content,” bureaucracy, and cultural control. Call it a levy, contribution, fee, or tax. Same old Ottawa game. Rename the burden and hope people stop noticing.
So no, the problem is not that Canadians “do not understand how Canada works.” Or Pierre. The problem is that too many people understand exactly how it works: politicians pass vague laws, regulators do the dirty work, and taxpayers get told it was all independent.