Ms. Fry.
Evidence of meeting #27 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #27 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Mr. Chair, I think that while Mr. Abbott brings up a very important point, that in fact we do not have the ability to intervene or to interfere legislatively or according to our mandate in anything that the CBC does with regard to its programming, the point made by Mr. Coderre and others that in fact it could engage public discourse on the whole issue of Radio 2, of deciding not to continue with classical music, etc., is an important one, as long as there is the knowledge and expectation that we do not have the power to change this. It helps us to get feedback.
I'm in agreement with the feedback piece. However, if that is the case, and if, as the motion said, it's also about the overall intent of the changing of Radio 2 and the disbanding or lessening of classical music, then it would seem to me that holding it in Vancouver alone may not meet that broader demand for public input, because we'd be asking a whole bunch of people from across the country to come to discuss the other two components of the motion in Vancouver.
So I think perhaps Mr. Chong makes some sense in saying let's do it here, where we can attend to all three pieces of Mr. Siksay's motion.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
I have a proposition, if Mr. Siksay is in agreement with it, because I think that I feel a consensus. It has nothing to do with the spirit of the motion, but we believe that there are some issues we have to discuss. Now, we know it's a broader issue. I would agree anyway with the amendment that Madame Mourani and Ed and Michael were proposing, so maybe by having a gentlemen's agreement, by getting rid of “hearings urgently in May 2008”, by saying it has to be before the end of the session, and taking out the other hearings in other places, we won't have any problems, because we should be in places in Ontario and some other places too, because CBC Radio 2 has some impact from coast to coast to coast.
So I would propose that my colleague Mr. Siksay take that as a gentlemen's agreement and proceed with the vote.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay, I'd just like to explain one thing about the travelling. We have to have a budget. We would have to have that okayed. Hopefully we could get a budget to do it here more easily. I'm just going to give you an example of my success every time I've gone to get money to travel. I'm three down and one up. I got money once. It's not just whatever we say here today. That doesn't necessarily make it happen.
Mr. Siksay, would you entertain Mr. Coderre's and Ms. Mourani's and Mr. Fast's suggestions?
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Chair, I am prepared to accept the change taking out “urgently in May 2008” and say “prior to the summer recess”, if that's what folks are suggesting. That's acceptable to me.
I think I have to say, though, that I think it's very important that we go to Vancouver. As I pointed out, there are precious few if any other national cultural institutions based in Vancouver, based in western Canada. I think that since we're talking about disbanding perhaps the only one, we have to go to Vancouver to allow as many people as possible from the Vancouver area to speak to that. The only way we can do that is by holding hearings in Vancouver.
If this were a national cultural institution based anywhere else in the country, I don't think we would for a moment dream of not going to hear from people in that community. I think it's very important that we do that. So if we can accept the change deleting the “urgently in May 2008”, that's fine. I would still like us to vote on the second part of that if possible, because I can't support that.
I'd like to point out to folks that the motion, as it's presented, says “travel to Vancouver for some of those hearings”. It doesn't preclude having hearings anywhere else. It certainly wasn't my intention to say that it be only Vancouver, but I do think it is very important that we especially go to Vancouver, so the suggestion that we take out that phrase isn't an acceptable suggestion to me, Chair.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Now, Ms. Mourani had made an amendment or had caused an amendment to be made. We've talked around various other things, and we've talked about a friendly amendment among us.
Would that be acceptable to you, Ms. Mourani, in terms of your amendment?
4 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
We are all in agreement about using the words "prior to the summer recess". As to the trip to Vancouver, I am trying to see if it is feasible. I am looking at the calendar. Today is May 6th. So we have three weeks left, four at most. The best that I can do to try and get consensus around a motion is to propose one hearing only in Vancouver. I do not know if Mr. Siksay would agree to that. That would get everyone on the same page. We would set aside a day to hear witnesses in Vancouver. We could set aside a whole day. That is as far as I can go to amend my own amendment.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
We have a number of motions before us here today. I think we have a consensus on what the vote is about. Maybe you can read back the motion so we can vote on it. I think we are continuing to talk about the same things, if I may say so respectfully.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Chair, I have received all those letters too. It is true that I am not from Vancouver, but I am sensitive to the people who are so attached to this radio station. I would like to withdraw my first amendment and put forward another. My new amendment would delete the words "urgently in May 2008" and replace them with the words "prior to the summer recess". I do not want us to be tied down. In fact, rather than saying "prior to the summer recess", I would prefer to say "before the end of this session".
4 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
Mr. Chair, the question about the summer has already been decided. Mr. Siksay has accepted. We are talking about the main motion. It mentioned May 2008. Everyone is in agreement that it should be before the end of the session. Given that the first part of the motion has been settled, I think that Mrs. Mourani should speak to the second part, whether or not we are going to Vancouver, and stick to that, because the clock is ticking.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Chair, if Mr. Coderre can spare us some time, I would like to rework my amendment. It would read as follows:
That the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage hold hearings before the end of this session supporting classical music and the changes to CBC Radio 2, and that the committee hold one hearing in Vancouver.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We've had a lot of excellent cooperation within this committee, and in the spirit of cooperation I've made my point; I'm not going to repeat it. I just ask that if we are to pass this, we simply pass it on division. I don't want this to be unanimous, because, I have to be honest, there are so many other topics that this committee can engage in and should engage in. I will speak in favour of my own motion later, but it is a motion that will give the committee some power so we can actually do something and create something.
The motion we're talking about right now would give Canadians an opportunity to vent, other than on Facebook, through e-mails, or by the methods they presently have. We'd make our committee another place for Canadians to be able to vent about the CBC and the programming.
If we have a question I would ask for the question, and I suggest we pass it on division.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
It's my understanding that Ms. Mourani's amendment would be that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage hold hearings prior to the summer recess on the decision by CBC/Radio-Canada to disband the CBC Radio Orchestra; on CBC/Radio-Canada's commitment to classical music; and on the changes to CBC Radio 2; and that the committee hold a single hearing in Vancouver.
I'll call the question on the amendment.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Chair, on a point of clarification, it's not clear to me whether Ms. Mourani was trying to say that our total consideration of this issue be only one day of hearings in Vancouver. I don't think that's what she intended, but it's the way the motion would read if it were left this way. I think the intention was to have at least one day in Vancouver, but that we could also have hearings here in Ottawa. I just want to clarify that's the meaning we're taking into this vote, before we vote on it.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Yes, we will have hearings here in Ottawa, but we would have one, not a minimum of one, but only one, in Vancouver.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
I'm new to this standing committee, but when we talk about anything regarding modalities or budgets, don't we settle that in the steering committee?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
Okay. And for the record, since we're public, everybody here loves Vancouver and wants to be supportive of the people from British Columbia, but we also support the people from Quebec, Ontario, and the Atlantic region, from coast to coast to coast, wherever.
I believe that it being May 6 today, there's a difference between the spirit of the motion itself and what we want to accomplish as a committee, and the reality. So we need a reality check here.
First of all, we don't have a new budget, and we don't know about it. Secondly, we believe that it's important to talk about the future of CBC Radio 2.
So I would suggest taking apart the issue of whether or not we are going to Vancouver, and agree among ourselves that we should talk about that issue at the standing committee; and then at the steering committee, decide among ourselves what's the reality of the agenda and how we should manage it, and at least wait to see if we have a new budget for it.