I'm am presently a member of the Conservative Party of Canada though my membership will soon expire and not be renewed. I've been a supporter of the Party since I voted for Brian Mulroney during the Free Trade election. I was a member of the Liberal Party when I voted for Brian Mulroney. However, I could not vote for the Liberal Party that year. They were against Free Trade and I was for Free Trade. Despite the scare tactics of the Liberal Party campaign, I had no fear that Canada was about to be absorbed by the US, either culturally or economically. I believed that Canadians knew who we were as a people, and that we could compete in the market place. I believed that competition spurs innovation. I believed Canadians should have access to the best products and services wether they are sourced in Canada or the US, or the World for that matter. The Liberal Party under John Turner did not believe Canadians were confident in their identity or that Canadian companies could adapt to market forces and compete. We needed to be protected from 'the world' out there.

Although there were other issues and policies offered by both parties, I felt each party's position on the Free Trade Agreement reflected their macro-view on how they would govern on other issues. Would they govern from a fearful and protectionist position, keeping Canadians from competition or would they govern with strength, confident in our ability to adapt, compete, and excel. I voted for Free Trade and let my Liberal Party membership expire and eventually became a member of the Conservative Party.

Now with the pending introduction of Bill C-61 (or Canada's Digital Millennium Copyright Act), I will be letting my membership to the Conservative Party of Canada expire. I'm not likely to re-join the Liberal Party (I'm more than a little fed up with both these parties), but I will do my part to help defeat any party that wants to introduce a bill like this to the Canadian people.

Like Free Trade, BC-61 is a Bellwether issue for me. The Conservative Party's support for this bill goes completely counter to why I supported them 20 years ago. The bill is supposed to protect copyright holders, but in reality its purpose is to protect the 20th Century business models of traditional media. They need to be protected from the "world out there". It's a fearful bill. It does not show confidence in Canadian companies to adapt to new realities of the digital world. It puts us at a long term competitive disadvantage vis a vis the rest of the world. Most importantly, it will make criminals out of regular Canadians who copy and reuse content ethically.

Sources:
Business faces challenges under copyright legislation
61 Reforms to C-61, Day 39: TPMs - No DRM Labelling Requirement
Legislation is severely flawed Bill C-61 has some unforeseen implications
61 Reforms to C-61, Day 40: TPMs - No Regular Review Process
Bill C-61 Flawed
Fair dealing missing under rules of new copyright law
Copyright shifts format
Copyright Lobbying Behind Closed Doors