Written by Alex Cosh

As reported by The Canadian Press on Sunday, tech giant Meta warned that Canadians will no longer be able to access news content on Facebook and Instagram if the Trudeau government goes ahead with legislation that would require the company to share a portion of its profits with Canadian news outlets.

CP explained:

"Tech giants such as Meta and Google have long fought against the proposed law known as Bill C-18, which would require digital giants like them to negotiate deals that would compensate Canadian media companies, potentially including the CBC, for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online."

While forcing tech giants to hand over cash to struggling news outlets might sound appealing to many in the media industry, and despite fighting words from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against Meta's behaviour, critics say the legislation - even if Meta plays ball - is unlikely to rescue Canadian journalism.

On the latest episode of The Maple's North Untapped podcast, we spoke to Dru Oja Jay from The Breach about why Bill C-18 will likely end up subsidizing the profits and debt repayments of corporate media giants like Postmedia, and why the government should instead focus on providing such revenues to non-profit news organizations dedicated to public-interest journalism.

Download the full episode for free on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Canadians Frustrated With Airline Complaints Process: Survey

As reported by CBC News:

"Internal surveys conducted by the agency responsible for enforcing air passenger protection rules shows a growing level of dissatisfaction with the time it takes to resolve complaints ... The quasi-judicial Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is tasked with enforcing rules that require an airline to compensate passengers when a flight is delayed or cancelled for a reason that is within the airline's control."

The article continues:

"The agency's internal client satisfaction surveys — four of which were obtained by CBC News through an access to information request — show an increasing level of frustration with delays since the compensation rules came into effect ... The 2019 survey suggests that 25 per cent of passengers were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the time it took for the agency to process their complaint. That number jumped to 71 per cent in the 2022 survey."

Read the full story.

Other News

  • Mike Mullen, a retired admiral and former chair of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, told CBC News Sunday that he thinks Western countries will "eventually" send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
  • The federal government says a new benefit designed to help those who adopt or grow their families with the help of a surrogate will be ready in the coming months, CTV News reports.
  • A list of more than 110 Jewish Ontarians have signed a letter of support for NDP MPP candidate Sarah Jama, who is being accused of "anti-semitism" by a pro-Israel group based on her advocacy for Palestinian rights.

33 per cent

Data of the day from Abacus Data: According to a poll from Abacus Data, a minority of Canadians, 33 per cent, are following news about alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections closely or very closely. According to Abacus: "Compared with other issues we have asked similar questions about, [there] is a higher-than-normal level of awareness, but not a high degree of engagement on the issue."

From The Readers: Issues Facing Women Today

On International Women's Day last week, we asked women readers to share their views on what the biggest issues facing women today are. Here's what you wrote:

Caroline in Ontario said:

"I think the biggest issue facing Canadian women right now is the Conservative Party. An opposition leader that courts incels and farms rage; the damn near annual threat to womens' right to their own bodies; in Ontario, the dismantling of public health, education, ODSP and autism and mental health services, and the demonizing of two of our most important and well paid professions: Nursing and teaching."

Nel in British Columbia wrote:

"Top as always is pay equality and general equality in the workplace ... Second: The matter of abortion should never be political. It shouldn't be on any governmental agenda. It only is a matter between a woman and her doctor and the baby father, if he wants to be involved. It has nothing to do with anyone else, ever. And stop making women pay for contraception! It should be free."

Sandi in Nova Scotia said justice for Indigenous peoples globally, protecting the planet and ending conflicts are other major issues affecting women. She wrote:

"(The Ukraine war), like all wars caused by power and land hungry men, is an outrageous waste of everything good to achieve that which a species, which dares to call itself superior and civilized, should have found ways to achieve by other means centuries ago. I like to think if women ruled the world that wars would have been waged over chess boards or on a pickle ball court."

On This Day in 2014

On March 14, 2014, Tony Benn, a radical former Labour Party member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, died at the age of 88. A life-long advocate for peace and justice, he is often remembered for his famous quote:

“There is no final victory, as there is no final defeat. There is just the same battle. To be fought, over and over again. So toughen up, bloody toughen up.”

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