CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois will support the Prime Minister provided that he offers assistance to CBC/Radio-Canada on the understanding that jobs will be maintained. However, CBC/Radio-Canada is not the only one struggling. All of our electronic news media are asking for the same wage subsidy that the federal government is giving, and rightly so, to our newspapers.

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, let us talk more about CBC/Radio‑Canada CEO Catherine Tait's appearance at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage yesterday. Nothing she said provided anyone with any reassurance about her vision for Quebec news and culture. She will not be reinstating the 600 jobs she cut, a disproportionate number of which were on the French-language side.

Roger Pomerleau  Mr. Speaker, Roger Pomerleau has died. He took with him a small piece of Quebec's very soul. He loved Quebec and its people as fiercely as he cherished its language and its culture. Roger Pomerleau was a Bloc Québécois member of Parliament from 1993 to 1997 and again for Drummond starting in 2008, when he succeeded the late Pauline Picard.

News Media Industry  Madam Speaker, if the government can guarantee that the $7 million from Google will prevent the dismissal of 600 CBC/Radio-Canada employees, we might reconsider our position. Seven million dollars out of $1.5 billion is a drop in the bucket for public television, but it is a huge amount for the small weekly newspapers in our towns and regions.

News Media Industry  Madam Speaker, we now know what the breakdown of Google's royalty payments is going to look like. Of the $100 million specified in the agreement, $30 million is earmarked for electronic media, $7 million for CBC/Radio-Canada and the rest for print media. This amount of money will not fix the media crisis for newspapers, television stations or radio, by any stretch, but $7 million for the CBC?

Service Preservation at Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That the House: (a) affirm that Radio-Canada plays a crucial role in Francophone information and cultural vitality in Quebec and in Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities; (b) recognize that the announced cuts could be detrimental to the promotion of French-language culture, at a time when the federal government recognizes that the French language is under threat in Canada; (c) express its strong reservations of planned cuts at Radio-Canada and that it reiterates that the preservation of the public broadcaster's services in the various regions of Quebec and in Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities must be a priority.

Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I am confused. The Leader of the Opposition just said that the next election would be a carbon tax election, but I would like to know what will happen in Quebec, since the carbon tax does not apply to Quebec. I want to know what—

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, when people are calling for someone's resignation, it is probably not a good time for them to go on an overseas trip. However, CBC/Radio Canada's CEO, Catherine Tait, left for Australia shortly after announcing that 600 CBC/Radio-Canada employees are being let go. I am sure everyone will agree that that shows a lack of judgment.

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, in the recent economic update, the government announced that it would increase the tax credit for newsrooms from 25% to 35%, which is very good. Even if that does not solve the media crisis, we know that it will help. It will help, but only print media. Unfortunately, television and radio journalists are not eligible.

Rémy Girard  Mr. Speaker, the Québec Cinéma gala took place yesterday. This year, Stéphane Lafleur's Viking took home a whole bouquet of Iris awards. The evening was also an opportunity to rename the people's choice award after Michel Côté, who died last year. There could be no better choice.

Presence in Gallery  Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will find there is unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House (a) recall that Radio-Canada had 29% of the audience share in Quebec in 2022 and 2023—

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, CEO Catherine Tait announced that CBC/Radio-Canada is laying off 600 employees. This is a catastrophe. It is a catastrophe for news and regional information. It is a catastrophe for Quebec culture and democracy, and of course it is a catastrophe for Radio-Canada creatives.

CBC/Radio-Canada  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the minister also wants answers from the president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, but I would remind the minister that it is her responsibility to appoint the CEO. Ms. Tait's 18-month tenure was supposed to focus on combatting disinformation. However, she is doing the opposite.

CBC/Radio‑Canada  Mr. Speaker, less than two weeks after the economic update, CBC/Radio-Canada, a Crown corporation, the public broadcaster paid for mostly with our money, is cutting 800 jobs and announcing that 600 people will soon be fired. The media crisis that was affecting the private sector has now spread to the public broadcaster.

CBC/Radio‑Canada  Mr. Speaker, Radio‑Canada outperforms CBC. From news and current affairs to television series and soaps, Radio‑Canada is doing better than CBC. That is certainly not because there are more francophones in the country. We know that for a fact. However, Radio‑Canada, which has fewer employees and higher viewership, is being cut just as much as CBC.