House of Commons Hansard #106 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-50.

Topics

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Barry Devolin

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Barry Devolin

All those opposed will please say nay.

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

MADE IN CANADA ACTPrivate Members' Business

6:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Barry Devolin

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 93, a recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, November 4, 2009, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

6:30 p.m.

Bloc

Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the floor during the adjournment debate so that I can follow up on a question that I asked a very long time ago. On June 2, 2009, I asked the parliamentary secretary a question because he had said that Télé Québec was going to be excluded from the media fund. I asked him to clarify the situation.

However, the situation was never really clarified, and now the media fund is really a serious problem. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with right now. Some people think that it is over with and will not come up again until next spring when it is time for the next round of decision-making, but this is a hot topic right now, and people are very worried about the future of the media fund.

This morning in La Presse, there was an article by Nathaëlle Morissette. It is so well-written that I would like to read it to the parliamentary secretary, who is listening right now, so that he understands the problem as Quebeckers see it.

This is what Nathaëlle Morissette wrote, and it will take about two minutes to read:

Original network television programming is being threatened. [Those are not my words. That is really what it said in the paper.] At least that was the message sent yesterday by the Association des producteurs de film et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ) president, André Provencher, who is very concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the Canada Media Fund.

Next fall, original programs such as Aveux and Yamaska might give way to foreign concepts that have been adapted for a Quebec audience, such as Tout le monde en parle or Le banquier, the Quebec version of Deal or No Deal, which are considered sure bets and ratings generators.

If the new media fund (which will replace the Canadian Television Fund in April) puts the emphasis on audience ratings—as many producers fear—the 2010-11 season will suffer, says André Provencher.

Mr. Provencher, also the president of La Presse télé, shared his concerns in a speech delivered yesterday to the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. “The BBM report for the week of September 28 to October 4, 2009, showed that close to half the Quebec shows in the top 10 were in fact shows based on foreign ideas and formats”, he said.

“Making the allocation of these funds subject to ratings and reinforcing that specific criterion will prompt broadcasters to turn to blue chip productions,” he added at the end of his remarks. “Formats previously tested on other markets present less risk. There will be a narrower creative space.”

It will be March before producers are told based on what criteria programs will be subsidized under the new media fund. Such uncertainty will likely compromise several projects scheduled for the fall, and next September's programming schedule may well include much fewer new shows than this year's, indicated Mr. Provencher.

“Programs to be put on the air by next September require a production cycle slightly longer than four and a half months,” pointed out APFTQ director general Claire Samson. “This year, we will have to cope with a two-month delay over the usual timeframe.”

Mr. Provencher agreed, saying “Getting new products funded by the media fund and finding a spot for them in the fall programming schedule will cause many problems and challenges to the networks, in my opinion.”

6:35 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have the opportunity to speak about the Canada new media fund, a great fund that supports Canadian production and creation, a fund worth over $300 million, jointly contributed to by broadcast distribution undertakings, BDUs, cable and satellite providers in this country and the Government of Canada. It is worth about $180 million from the BDUs, and about $126 million from the Government of Canada. It is a very important fund.

I am happy to say that educational broadcasters, like Télé-Quebec, will continue to benefit from the Canada media fund. The Canada new media fund will support all kinds of programming that Canadians from all walks of life are looking for, including educational programming, produced with the financial participation of Télé-Québec.

The renewal of the government's contribution and the creation of the Canada new media fund set the stage for Canadian content in the digital age.

The member is quite right in some respects. This government does believe, as did previous governments, as there were similar requirements in any former Canadian television fund, that quality, diverse content and audience success go hand in hand. That is why the government believes in Canadian content and in the talents of those who create it. We believe that we should reward audience success.

Over the last five years programs broadcast by Télé-Québec have benefited from $34.8 million from the Canada television fund including a $7.7 million envelope this year. Support for Télé-Quebec will continue under the Canada new media fund.

6:35 p.m.

Bloc

Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary said that the media fund is an excellent fund, but we still do not know how it will work. We do not know how it will be managed or what the criteria will be. The only thing we know is that, last spring, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages said that the government would subsidize what Canadians want. Going for ratings at all costs often has a negative impact on creativity, innovation and novelty. Creativity, innovation and novelty are exactly what produce wonder and enthusiasm, as well as ratings based on quality.

That is why I am urging the parliamentary secretary to pay close attention to the criteria I am proposing now.

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, as I said, educational broadcasters, such as Télé-Québec, will continue to be eligible under the criteria established by the Canada media fund. The member has no concerns there.

I would also like to reiterate the government's position regarding audience success. In the government's view, quality, diverse content and audience success all go hand in hand. The government is confident that educational broadcasters, such as Télé-Québec, will continue to benefit from the Canada media fund. The design of the Canada media fund is aligned with the government's strategy to secure a more effective investment on behalf of all Canadians.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, the story is well known. It appears the Minister of Natural Resources utilized the services and resources of the Toronto Port Authority. The executive assistant to the president and CEO sent out emails to solicit and to promote a fundraiser for the minister. The Toronto Port Authority is a federally controlled authority and its resources cannot be used for any unauthorized purposes.

The name on the flyer was Michael B. McSweeney, a registered lobbyist for the Cement Association of Canada. The fax number to send the order form for the minister's fundraiser happened to be the fax number for the Cement Association of Canada.

It is pretty clear that when a registered lobbyist does a fundraiser for a minister, whom he has registered to lobby, there is something wrong.

There are all kinds of potential breaches, but the most important has to do with the Prime Minister's code of conduct for ministers. The Prime Minister says:

I cannot stress enough that implementation of the Federal Accountability Act and associated Action Plan is not simply a matter of compliance. At least as important is our commitment to a culture of accountability in everything we do—that is, to uphold the highest standards of probity and ethical conduct in recognition of the fact that it is a privilege and a trust to participate in the process through which Canadians govern themselves.

He goes on to say that these measures complement the Conflict of Interest Act and establish the most rigorous conflict avoidance regime in Canada.

Annex H in the Guidelines for the Political Activities of Public Office holders, of which the Minister of Natural Resources is one, states:

—a public office holder should not participate in a political activity where it may reasonably be seen to be incompatible with the public office holder's duty, or otherwise be seen to impair his or her ability to discharge his or her public duties in a politically impartial fashion, or would cast doubt on the integrity or impartiality of the office.

Finally it states:

Compliance with these Guidelines is a term and condition of appointment. Before appointment, a public office holder shall certify that he or she will comply with these Guidelines.

These are the Prime Minister's guidelines for ministers. The Ethics Commissioner has no jurisdiction over these. These are the private guidelines of the Prime Minister.

We used to have an ethics counsellor who was between the Prime Minister and the code of conduct for ministers. We no longer have one. The only person who can sanction a minister under the Prime Minister's code of conduct is the Prime Minister himself.

Why is it that a minister who has so blatantly breached the Prime Minister's guidelines for his ministers not had any sanctions against her for violating virtually all of the provisions of Annex H of that code?

6:40 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, allow me to begin by thanking the member for Mississauga South and the chair of the ethics committee for his intervention today.

Our government takes the allegations seriously. This government prides itself on accountability and ethics. That is why we strengthened the powers and responsibilities of those arm's-length agencies that are charged to investigate such matters.

The Minister of Natural Resources continues to co-operate fully with the Ethics Commissioner. The minister is following and will follow the commissioner's ruling and guidance.

The issue is still being examined by the Ethics Commissioner and therefore it would be inappropriate for me to comment.

6:45 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Here is the problem, Mr. Speaker.

The Prime Minister's message accompanying this code says that it complements the Conflict of Interest Act, which is the purview of the Ethics Commissioner. The Ethics Commissioner has no purview whatsoever over the Prime Minister's code of conduct for his ministers. The Prime Minister is the only one who can provide sanctions. It says that compliance with these guidelines is a condition of appointment. In other words, it is like an undated letter of resignation.

It is up to the Prime Minister to judge his own ministers. This is the rule that he has set. It complements the Conflict of Interest Act.

To suggest that we should wait for the Ethics Commissioner is irrelevant. The Prime Minister has to decide. When is he going to decide?

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, our government takes these allegations very seriously. This government prides itself on accountability and ethics. That is why we strengthened the powers and responsibilities of those arm's-length agencies that were charged with investigating such matters.

The Minister of Natural Resources continues to cooperate fully with the Ethics Commissioner. The minister is following and will continue to follow the commissioner's rulings and guidance.

This issue is being examined by the Ethics Commissioner and, therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Barry Devolin

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:47 p.m.)