We have established that we would spend some time on the court challenges program. That's decided. We've had the proposal from the clerk, which we've agreed upon as a committee, and I believe we should move ahead on that.
In terms of the motions before us today, here's the way I intend to vote unless we see some amendments: I will not support Mr. Abbott's motion. It's not that I have anything against museums, but I do believe that in terms of museums, Mr. Kotto's motion is perhaps where we should be going as a committee, because the work's been done--and I'm not the only one saying that: it's the Canadian Museums Association itself.
Also, we had confirmation at the last meeting this committee had with the Museums Associations that indeed the government--the minister--is currently engaged and has asked them to bring forward suggestions before the end of this calendar year. In that situation we would perhaps be doing work for nothing, because if the government has decided to pick it up, as we had encouraged it to do back in the spring, when we tabled a report to that effect, then I'm not sure we'd be doing the right thing.
I'd rather wait and see if indeed the government intends to come forward with a policy. If it wishes to submit it to the committee, I would personally welcome that. It doesn't have to; I respect that; the government can issue its own papers and its own policies as it sees fit. In the spirit of cooperation, it would be welcome to come here so that we could react to it, but I'm not sure that it would be a good use of our time at this juncture to determine that in reality we'll be looking at that in January or February, when in fact the government might have finished its work, as I would hope it would have. That's basically what Mr. Kotto's motion says, grosso modo.
I intend to support the one from Mr. Angus. The future of public broadcasting in this country is a priority for us, particularly CBC and Radio-Canada. If the government comes forward with legislation on other issues, as it should have, since we've had commitments made by the minister twice at this committee that we would have legislation tabled in the House and referred to a committee--presumably part of this one--in terms of copyright, at that point that would take precedence.
In the absence of that, if I had to choose between doubling the efforts, dédoubler, on what the government's doing in terms of the museum policy--which it is working on, we've had that assurance--and working on the future of the CBC and Radio-Canada and its mandate--which the government is not doing--then I'd rather go to the CBC and Radio-Canada. That's how I intend to vote on these particular motions at this time.
I think all of that can be revisited come January 28, when we reassemble, in light of what may be before us at that time, whether or not we have a review of a policy on museums and whether or not the government is intending to move further on the CBC review mandate. At that point, I'd be perfectly willing to look at this, but for the most part the die is cast for the next four weeks that we have, so I'd stick to that. That's how I intend to vote on these particular motions, subject to revision at the appropriate moment.