It has now been one week since Industry Minister Jim Prentice unveiled Bill C-61. While the bill yielded the predictable voices of immediate support from lobby groups anxious to import the DMCA to Canada, it did not take long for the government's communication strategy to go off-the-rails (a none-too-impressive performance by Prentice at the press conference did not help). By virtually any standard, it has not been a good week for a minister who is often described in glowing terms as future leadership material. The media coverage has nearly universally criticized the legislation. A sampling of masthead editorials include:
- Brantford Expositor
- Kingston Whig-Standard
- Nanaimo Daily News
- Ottawa Citizen
- Owen Sound Sun-Times
- Prince George Citizen
- Sudbury Star
- St. Catherines Standard
- Victoria Times-Colonist
- Welland Tribune
- Vancouver Sun
Further, the online anger has surely exceeded the Minister's expectations:
