Evidence of meeting #10 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I call this meeting to order.
I see we have quorum. I thank everyone for coming to make this quorum.
This meeting is going to last no more than 15 or 20 minutes. There are two priorities for me right now that we have to get to before we leave.
First, it's been brought to my attention that our first vice-chair from the Liberals is no more a part of this committee; Ms. Dhalla is not part of this committee. As my first point of order for today, I'd like to replace Ms. Dhalla.
Mr. Simms.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Are you taking nominations at this point, Mr. Chairman?
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
It would be my honour to nominate Mr. Mauril Bélanger for the position of vice-chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Are there any other nominations?
Are we agreed around the table?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Thank you, Mr. Vice-Chair.
Second, it's very important for our analysts to have some work to do this summer while we're all out sunbathing and doing nothing; I'm quite sure we're going to be very busy. They have asked if they could have a little bit of direction for the fall and if we might be able to enlighten them.
There have been a couple of things. Mr. Angus sent something in and Mr. Simms sent something in, and lo and behold they are very close. From Charlie we got the Canada Council of the Arts, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Telefilm Canada, and Canadian Museum of Civilization. From Mr. Simms we have the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Telefilm Canada, Canada Council of the Arts, and National Arts Centre. Three things there are relatively the same. I know that one of our reports was on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Did you have something, Mr. Bélanger?
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
I'd like to add, Mr. Chairman, if I may, that on the matter of copyright, the minister confirmed when she appeared that the government would be presenting legislation in the fall. I don't know when in the fall that would be, but from my experience on this committee, dealing with Bill C-32 in the 35th Parliament, it was difficult, complex, and controversial, and I suspect you had a foretaste of that in terms of Bill C-60 in the last Parliament. Any time spent by the members or by staff preparing for that would be time well spent.
I don't know the extent to which the government will go into this legislation, whether there's a number of controversial items or not, but I would certainly put that near the top in terms of research work.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
I might be able to shed a little light on this; I think it would be good for all committee members to be fully apprised.
I agree completely with Mr. Bélanger--yet another frosty Friday we have here--but I'd just like to put it into proper context. I'm not sure--and I'm not predicting, I'm just simply saying--that a decision has been made regarding which committee it will be coming before. It might be presumptuous of us to assume that it will be coming before the heritage committee. It could be going before the industry committee or before a joint committee.
I agree that it would be a good idea for us to inform ourselves as much as we can, but not with an absolute deadline in mind that we are going to be tasked with this. Although we will be very interested and will want to be participants, we might not be the key players. And I'm not predicting anything; I'm simply saying that we don't know.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I'd like to add something here. I was around for the last deal on copyright, regarding the digital form. Then Bill C-60 came back to us for a wee bit last time. It is very complicated, and if we had even a couple of sessions just to go over what's been before us--and I'm quite sure that even in the last two years things have changed again--I would find that very informative. Sometimes it's not the most exciting thing, but it's very complicated, and it's very important to so many people.
Yes, Mr. Fast.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Chair, I'm just wondering, could members of the committee be provided with copies of Bill C-60 and also any reports that have been prepared in the past? I understand that there are at least two reports outstanding. It would be very helpful for us to go through those before we brought any delegations in.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Again, I may be talking through my hat here, but I think it might be a good idea even to go through those reports and relate them to what Bill C-60 said. Bill C-60 didn't look too much like some of the reports did; that's because we had both Industry and Heritage involved.
My suggestion, then, is that it would be great if we could start off with some of that, and....
Yes, Mr. Kotto.
Maka Kotto Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Chairman, as I remember, we debated this subject in the last parliament. We talked about striking a joint heritage-industry committee to examine this bill, but that committee remained to be established. As an election was called sooner than expected, the plan was not carried out. I think we should perhaps reconsider establishing a joint committee. I don't see how the members of this committee could be excluded from it.
Having consulted my Bloc colleague who sits on the Standing Committee on Industry, I can say that he welcomes the idea of there being, on one side, representatives of this committee from each of the parties and, on the other side, representatives of their committee. However, it would be absurd to exclude the members here present from the future committee.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
If I could, Mr. Chair, I'm substituting for Charlie Angus, and at the outset of the meeting you listed some of the things that Charlie had left with you as things that he deemed to be important. To be fair, that was only in answer to the question you put to him about which crown corporations he might like to see studied. In actual fact, he did leave a brief note with me about some of things that he thought would be coming up in the fall and therefore would benefit from some work over the summer. Could I table those for you?
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Angus assessed that a number of things would probably be coming up early in the fall, including a meeting with the minister. I don't need to go through that. He also mentioned GATS at Doha; the CBC mandate review, etc.; the copyright review, which you've obviously touched on. With regard to the CBC terms of reference for the mandate review of CBC, which I believe your committee talked about, you voted at committee that you wanted consultation into the development of the terms of reference for the mandate review. I think he's identified that this needs more work. As well, Mr. Angus is serving notice that he will be bringing forward media concentration, the idea of concentration of ownership in the media, and the francophone secretariat as it applies to people in northern Ontario, in terms of service in the French language being properly maintained outside of Quebec.
So he's listed those five things in addition to--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
He has the CBC in there again. As I say, that's something we have a report on and that I think will come up. Again, I would suggest that CBC might be on the docket, so we should get information on, for instance, what the mandate is now. I know the Senate has been looking into some of the stuff on CBC. So that would be something also.
Yes.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Just to finish up, one thing that's given special emphasis on Mr. Angus' list is the francophone secretariat as it applies to francophone northern Ontarians. He'd like to develop information throughout the summer for a meeting on issues around this secretariat. The specific question he mentions is with regard to how the regional francophone programs are being supported and managed by the government for those francophone populations outside of Quebec.
He has given special urgency to that. If you could add that to the list of research items throughout the summer, he would appreciate it.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay.
When we come back in the fall, I would suggest that if you have various...or whatever research is closest to us, we can have a meeting and decide what our agenda will be. Does that suit everyone around the table?