Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 30th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

These five-minute dialogues are rather frustrating at times, so we try to piggyback on some of them, and I'll try that too. But there are a couple of things I need to clear up first, Mr. Chairman.

In your remarks, you said the report demanded of you by the government is due by December 14, yet the minister's message in the report on plans and priorities says that the report is due on December 31. My question is, is this going to be a public report?

[Charles Dalfen]

Yes, and I hope we didn't get the date wrong. I think it's December 14.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

It's not abnormal that government would get a bit of a lead on it--

[Charles Dalfen]

Yes, it'll be coming.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

--but she is saying December 31, so I wanted to know if it's going to be a public document.

[Charles Dalfen]

Maybe she's counting on slow mail delivery between December 14 and December 31, but our deadline said December 14.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Your deadline is December 14. Thank you.

When does your mandate come to an end, sir?

[Charles Dalfen]

Personally, that's December 31.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Maybe now we understand.

Have you heard anything from the government vis-à-vis renewal or extension of your mandate, or is that impertinent to be asking?

[Charles Dalfen]

I wouldn't call it impertinent. I would just choose not to answer it.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

That's fair.

The matter of the proposed policy direction on the telecom side is of concern to some of us here because of the convergence. Bell is affected by it, but Bell also has some ownership in terms of general broadcasting. So where the telecom panel went beyond its mandate was in opening the matter of foreign ownership content, so therefore some of us have some grave concerns.

I went to the industry committee. I raised this with the telecoms, and one of them actually realized that indeed there is a legitimate concern there and so forth.

If you have a situation where you have a proposed policy--and I insist on that now--and a will of Parliament expressed through a majority of the members representing the people of Canada, will you give voice to the will of Parliament in responding to the proposed policy direction?

[Charles Dalfen]

Are you again referring to foreign ownership here?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Yes.

[Charles Dalfen]

Again, I think our hands are quite tied in regard to foreign ownership in that we are obliged by our act to give effect to whatever the directive the government gives us is. So you could say that's the will of Parliament and that Parliament gave the government the authority to direct us, and that's--

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

But what I'm saying is that until it is an actual directive, the CRTC presumably is invited to comment on the proposed directive, is it not?

[Charles Dalfen]

If there is one.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

You have a proposed policy directive.

[Charles Dalfen]

But it doesn't deal with that. The one we have doesn't deal with foreign ownership.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

But because of Parliament having expressed its desire through a majority vote in the House of Commons, adopting a report from this committee that we maintain foreign ownership restrictions, would the CRTC be inclined to express that indeed there is that concern for the broadcasting side?

Mr. Chairman, we're in this twilight zone here because of convergence, and I think Canadians have a right to know where this government is going, and the government should know where Canadians want or don't want it to go in terms of foreign ownership for broadcasters.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I think it could be just a little unfair to our witnesses here to try to determine which way the government policy should go.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I agree with you, Mr. Chairman. I'm saying, would the CRTC consider an opportunity to respond to a proposed policy directive, to say there are some concerns out there--and perhaps not just from parliamentarians?

[Charles Dalfen]

I'm just going to ask one question of my colleague. Do we get consulted on that?

Yes, we do get officially consulted on that, so the answer is that we will have an opportunity to weigh in and give our comments on it, yes.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Thank you.

On the matter of the satellite radio--and that's where we piggyback--my understanding is that there is currently before you a request from a number of companies together to expand the reach of satellite radio. Is that correct?

[Charles Dalfen]

Not that I'm aware of.

Perhaps, Scott--