Evidence of meeting #42 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Good afternoon and welcome, Minister, Mr. Blais, Mr. Jean.
If I'm not mistaken, the motion about Mr. Pentefountas' appointment was passed at the beginning of the meeting because you are prepared to answer questions.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I am here to talk about the CBC. But you have the floor. You can ask any question you like.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I'm glad you are satisfied with our policy on the CBC. If you like, you can talk about Mr. Pentefountas.
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Excuse me, I didn't hear what I was satisfied with.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I was talking about our policy on the CBC.
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
No, it's actually that I said to myself that I will have time to talk to you about it. We are always sensing hostility to the CBC form the Conservatives. Mr. Kenney's recent statement is another illustration. I'm going to come back to that question in any case.
I would like first to talk to you about Mr. Pentefountas because I don't have the impression you will be coming back to talk to us about that.
The CRTC published a position description on its site for a Vice-Chairperson of Broadcasting, full-time, with a salary range of $190,400 to $224,200.
The position description is extremely specific, and it says:
... the Vice-Chairperson is responsible for assisting the Chairperson in providing effective leadership to the Commission, assuming responsibility for broadcasting issues, and for providing executive support in the management of an independent regulatory body.
What we know about Mr. Pentefountas does not suggest to us that he is capable of filling this position. I don't want to read you the entire description of the position he is to fill and the qualifications he has to have, but it also says "a francophone is preferred". Not a Quebecker, I would just note.
I am wondering what you found in that position description that suggested to you that Mr. Pentefountas will be capable of filling the position. Can you start with that question, please?
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
I would just like to say that the subject on the orders of the day is consideration of the mandate and funding of the CBC. You can ask questions about the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission if it relates to the CBC.
So if you're asking questions about Mr. Pentefountas, that's in order provided they have a relation to the issue at hand, which is CBC/Radio-Canada.
I'll give you the latitude, Madame Lavallée, in this question you've just asked, to have the minister respond.
But I remind members that any questions you ask must have some relation, however tangential, to CBC/Radio-Canada.
3:45 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I think the purpose of Mr. Angus' motion was to invite Mr. Pentefountas to appear before the committee. He will be appearing. So you can see for yourself whether Mr. Pentefountas meets the requirements of the position of Vice-Chairperson of the CRTC.
In my opinion, he is qualified for the position, he is a quality individual. As I have said several times, we have replaced one Quebecker with another Quebecker. We said that during the election campaign, we want to make sure that Canadian diversity and linguistic duality are respected at the top of the CRTC.
I think he will do a good job, because he is responsible, well known, bilingual and educated. All of the rules surrounding the appointment process were the same as for every appointment the government makes. If I understand what has just happened at the committee, I think he will be appearing before you in the near future. You can then ask him these kinds of questions.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Minister, I don't know how you cam to choose Mr. Pentefountas—or perhaps I know too well—because there is nothing, absolutely nothing, in that position description that corresponds to what we know of Mr. Pentefountas' curriculum vitae. I even have to add that of the 308 members of the House, a good dozen can meet the requirements of the position much better than he can. I know a lot of people, and there may be six million people in Quebec who don't meet that profile. How is it that you have chosen someone for the sole reason that there is no conflict of interest? There are lots of people who have no conflict of interest. People who meet a position description like that one, very few. There were eight.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I didn't say it was the only reason, but for a potential Vice-Chairperson of the CRTC it is an asset not to have a conflict of interest now or in the past or the future. Also, he is a quality individual, capable of performing all aspects of the job, and at the same time having the respect of the other members of the board. I am satisfied that he will do a good job for Canada.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Nowhere does it say there will be no conflict of interest.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Thank you.
I'm going to reiterate that questions are in order about Mr. Pentefountas and about the CRTC if they relate in some way, however tangential, to CBC/Radio-Canada. The orders of the day indicate that this hearing is about CBC/Radio-Canada. So if you want to ask about Mr. Pentefountas and about the CRTC, you can, provided it somehow ties in to CBC/Radio-Canada. Otherwise, if it happens again, I will rule the question out of order.
Go ahead, Mr. Rodriguez.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, obviously there is a connection between Mr. Pentefountas' appointment as Vice-Chairperson of Broadcasting at the CRTC and the CBC, because the CRTC recently said it was going to examine the CBC's licence renewal application. Mr. Pentefountas will therefore be directly involved in the CBC's licence renewal. The reason we raise this question is that when the CBC goes before the CRTC, it will be appearing before Mr. Pentefountas. Since he is an ideological extension of the government, it will be difficult, do you see, Mr. Chair?
I would note that Youppi also has no conflict of interest.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
The question, as you've posed it, Mr. Rodriguez, is in order, because you have tied it to Radio-Canada. I ask that members tie the questions to CBC/Radio-Canada.
The committee has adopted a motion, which the chair will execute, to have Mr. Pentefountas here to speak to his qualifications. You can direct your questions at that time without reference to CBC/Radio-Canada. But today, members of the public and members of this committee have convened specifically on CBC/Radio-Canada. All questions must relate in some way, however tangential, as you've just put it, to that issue.
Mrs. Lavallée, you have the floor.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Minister, I hope we will be able to invite you back to talk about Mr. Pentefountas' appointment.
Let's talk about the CBC's funding. The Conservatives certainly never cease to attack the CBC. On November 23, Mr. Del Mastro came here and said, in fact, that he wanted to privatize the CBC. That is his personal opinion, but still, he said...
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Mr. Chairman, the member for the Bloc Québécois is taking my comments directly out of context. In fact, the member well knows that prior to the comments, I indicated that I was playing devil's advocate and that it was obviously not government policy. So I'd ask the member to reflect my comments appropriately.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Thank you, Mr. Del Mastro.
It's not a point of order. However, I'd ask members of the committee not to use this forum to attack other members of the committee. If you want to attack--
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I neither attacked him nor criticized him; I repeated what he said.