I first campaigned for an investigation into public officials abusing the statutory authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to financially benefit Canadian media companies shortly before the end of the last millennium (Op-Ed, March 17, 1995). 

Ironically, U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker now has the opportunity to be the catalyst for democratic reform in Canada, and inspire hope for people with mental health challenges, by publicly addressing how the CRTC is currently discriminating against U.S. online streaming companies.  

Background — The Power of True Stories

The late Professor Patrick W. Corrigan was an American mental health scholar, researcher and advocate who was widely recognized as the world-leading expert on the stigma of mental illness. The United States Congress, the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff all called on him due to his expertise, while Stanford University identified him as being one of the most highly cited scientists in the world (IIT, March 25, 2024).

A decade ago, Professor Corrigan sent an open letter to then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, addressing my experience of severe mental illness while a whistleblower in Canada and subsequent recovery as a mental health advocate in Australia. He concluded his correspondence to the prime minister by stating: “Knowledge of Mr. Mahar’s story will serve to challenge the stigma of mental illness, raise awareness of recovery, and inspire hope for people with mental health problems and their families” (Open Letter, February 22, 2016).

Systemic Corruption — The File 1000-121 Affair

To put Professor Corrigan’s assessment to the prime minister in context, five days earlier I had sent Mr. Trudeau an open letter along with four documents to notify him about an ongoing case of long-term systemic corruption at the CRTC: “The File 1000-121 Affair”. The corruption centres on officials abusing the statutory authority of the CRTC and requiring millions of unwitting Canadians to unjustly enrich and subsidize Canadian media companies (Open Letter, February 17, 2016); (Document 1); (Document 2); (Document 3); and (Document 4).

However, Mr. Trudeau did not initiate an investigation into the CRTC, as I had requested.

The File 1000-121 Affair & U.S. Online Streaming Companies

To the contrary, the Trudeau government increased the authority of the CRTC by enacting the Online Streaming Act. Officials at the Commission subsequently ordered American online streaming companies to subsidize the operations of Canadian media companies, resulting in a legal case before the Federal Court of Appeal in Canada, and objections by the U.S. administration.

Following the CRTC’s requirement for U.S. online streaming companies to subsidize Canadian media companies and the production of Canadian content (Cancon), I provided information by Cancon experts to the CRTC, notified the federal regulatory tribunal how it is is discriminating against the U.S. online streaming companies, and requested standing to appear at its public hearing into Cancon (Submission, January 20, 2025, p.9).

However, the CRTC refused my request to appear at its public hearing. 

Lethal Injections for Mental Illness

Far worse than ignoring evidence of systemic corruption at the CRTC, and permitting American companies to be discriminated against by the CRTC, the Trudeau government enacted legislation to expand eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID) to permit medical practitioners to provide lethal injections to people with mental health conditions who are otherwise healthy. “The eligibility date for persons suffering solely from a mental illness is now March 17, 2027” (Government of Canada).

It is a matter of public record that I strongly oppose the expansion of MAID for people whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness (Submission, November 11, 2023).

Return to Activism

It is also a matter of public record that I challenged some of the most powerful vested interests in Canada during my original campaign for an investigation into the File 1000-121 Affair (Global Televison, August 8, 1995), was formerly designated as a public interest litigant in a precedent-setting legal case related to the File 1000-121 Affair (Mahar v Rogers Cablesystems Ltd.), and my advocacy for an investigation into the CRTC corruption has twice generated questions in Canada’s parliament (House of Commons, March 30, 1995): (House of Commons, February 8, 2008).

While completing my social work degree, I wrote an essay about the File 1000-121 Affair, and how I planned to address it in the public interest. I stated that I would only return to the role of a direct activist when a good opportunity presented itself, “and where the potential value warrants the time, effort and risk” (budge, June 12, 2007).  

Given the scheduled expansion of MAID for mental illness, and the U.S. administration’s current attention on the CRTC, it is time for me to actively return to the File 1000-121 Affair, and try to simultaneously raise awareness about recovery from mental illness.

Strategy — Notifying the U.S. about Common Interests  

However, I’ve totally lost faith in the willingness of Canadian politicians and journalists in legacy Canadian media companies to inform citizens about the case of corruption at the CRTC, which is evident from my open letter in 2018 to the then U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (Open Letter, September 18, 2018).

Despite issuing a related press release (PR Newswire, September 18, 2018), not one single Canadian media company reported any of the issues raised, but one U.S. publication did: “Canadians have been required, without their knowledge, to subsidize private companies to produce television programming, including television programs without any cultural benefit to Canada that have competed unfairly against American companies in the U.S. and international markets,” Mahar argued in an Aug. 30 letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and obtained by THR” (The Hollywood Reporter, September 9, 2018).

Bill in 2026 by U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker — Assessment in 1995 by Member of Parliament Dan McTeague

Earlier this year, Representative Smucker introduced a bill to investigate whether the CRTC is discriminating against the American companies.  “Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), a member of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, introduced the Protecting American Streaming and Innovation Act, legislation to counter Canada’s digital trade barriers targeting American streaming companies and content producers [and] launch a Section 301 investigation into Canada’s Online Streaming Act to determine if Canada’s implementation of the law discriminates against or burdens American commerce. If so, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is directed to take necessary retaliatory action to combat Canada’s policies” (Press Release, March 19, 2026).

Consequently, I contacted the House member’s Washington’s office on June 12th, 2026 (June 13th in Canberra), and requested an opportunity to send Representative Smucker information about how the CRTC is discriminating against U.S. streaming companies. 

Decades ago, while Dan McTeague was a member of Parliament and we were working together to try to get an investigation into the CRTC, he publicly stated that he thought I was slightly ahead of my time (Global Television, August 8, 1995).

I am hoping that it is finally my time, and time for Canadians to learn about the File 1000-121 Affair.