Open, accessible communications will be on the table at CPC Convention

Policy resolutions, including those related to Internet openness and accessibility, will be the hot topics at the Conservative Convention taking place next Friday June 10th. Delegates will speak to the policies that matter most to them in break-out sessions, and if sufficiently supported, will move onto the Plenary to be voted into CPC policy.

A draft of the Conservatives' list of resolutions can be found HERE.

Last week we at OpenMedia.ca released a series of recommendations for digital policy in Canada, and we're excited to see the Conservatives putting forward resolutions that seem similarly premised on the principle of openness.

Resolution P-065, for example, supports competition in Canada's telecom industry and asks that regulations "enforce competitive access to all telecommunications infrastructure that is not economically replaceable".

Those who support this resolution should also recognize that to ensure growth and low-cost telecom services, the overall costs of doing business must not increase for small ISPs, including those that seek to purchase infrastructure. Should "Lawful Access" (invasive Internet surveillance laws) be passed, for example, infrastructure costs may increase due to the cost of surveillance equipment.

While P-067 calls for modern infrastructure for rural and Northern Canada, it falls short insofar as it limits its scope to voice, data, radio, and television -- the Internet is noticeably excluded.

However, P-063, a communications resolution, likens the Internet to railroads and aviation in calling for a more connected Canada. We couldn't have written the latter resolution better ourselves: it calls for universal broadband access, Internet openness and accessibility, net neutrality, fair bandwidth allocation, more private sector infrastructure investment -- the works!

RESOLUTION P - 063

EDA - Durham
Section N - Communications (NEW)

BROADBAND
We believe in the need for a strong Internet link to Canada together in the 21st Century, as railroads did in the 19th Century and aviation did in the 20th. Canada must claim a leading position in an increasingly networked world. The Conservative Party will:

1. Support internet broadband initiatives,, to bring universal access to all Canadians, especially in rural and Northern communities
2. Support an open and accessible internet with appropriate safeguards and enforcement mechanisms against illegal activities.
3. Support network neutrality, giving each user a fair share of bandwidth to use in communicating with any other user with any protocol.
4. We support an innovative and competitive market place while promoting private- sector infrastructure investment.
5. We support initiatives promoting telepresence and telecommuting to overcome geographical barriers.

Resolutions like the one above are an encouraging sigh that the government is moving in the right direction. To ensure a strong and competitive digital future for Canada, we at OpenMedia.ca wholeheartedly encourage the Conservative delegates to vote for this and other resolutions that emphasize openness and accessibility.

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Right-click HERE and select "Save Link As..." to download the full Policy Floor Resolutions PDF.

Read OpenMedia.ca's Action Plan for a Connected Canada HERE.