Evidence of meeting #26 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 films.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
We'll move on. Maybe with that, we'll give Mr. Angus the final question here today.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you very much.
I want to look at the issue of aligning the audiovisual policy tool kit. I've given my speech many times that there's absolutely no reason to expect that any Canadian is going to go see a Canadian film if they don't know who's in it. Why would they? When we look at these items in their separate parts, we're bound to fail, and television is a key. It came up again and again. Television is the ground where we create stars and television is where people get to know who they want to see, so then they see the films.
We heard again and again about the 1999 CRTC decision. People felt that was a really backwards step. So I'm concerned, and I just want to see the process of how you interact with the minister.
Right now, there are CRTC reviews going on in regard to the new technologies and on broadcasters. There has been a lot of speculation in the media about what broadcasters are talking about, like whether we need domestic content requirements, among other regulatory changes.
I'm looking to see what happens if a report comes that would broaden the impacts of the 1999 decision and affect domestic content even more. If you're looking at a report eight months down the road and your tool box has been stripped of its screwdriver and its hammer and its saw, it's going to be a challenged tool box.
The long and short of it is, do you have input with the ministerial department now, saying that these are the things you found and these are issues that need to be considered when they look at what's coming down at the CRTC? Or is that a completely separate process, in that they're going to make their decision and you guys are going to pick up the pieces one way or the other?
4:45 p.m.
Director General, Cultural Industries, Department of Canadian Heritage
The relationship between the minister and the CRTC is very well regulated, as you know. On the report that the government has asked the CRTC to produce for the impact of new technologies for the broadcasting system, this is a report that's going to land on my minister's desk, and I will be looking at it with my colleague from broadcasting policy, my colleague from new media, and my colleague from copyright. So this is pretty much an area of interest for the whole cultural affairs sector, to which I belong. Internally, we're going to look at what's in there and if there are links to feature film or music or books. The scope could be very broad.
In terms of the over-the-air TV policy that the CRTC is looking at, this is internal to the CRTC. They're going to come out with their decisions, and there's not much the department or the minister can do about the results of that review. In 1999, the minister of the time received criticism—not herself, but from the stakeholders—that the policy had been somehow judged as being a step backwards. That was what some stakeholders were saying, but other stakeholders were saying that it was a step forward. This is why it was a balancing act.
So on that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, the government does not have the power directive over the CRTC. There is a power directive, but it is being used very rarely.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
But Minister Bernier just sent back a decision to the CRTC, so the government does have that power.
4:45 p.m.
Director General, Cultural Industries, Department of Canadian Heritage
Yes, the government has that power. It's in the act and it can be used. What I'm saying is that, in recent history, it has not been used very often.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
I'm not prejudging what it's going to be, but if there were impacts that would definitely impact a feature film policy, would you say to the minister that this is problematic, or is that...?
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Sorry, it's not meant to be political. I'm wondering how the internal processes go. Do they provide advice? Would that just be a report that they'd study and then they would respond to it? Or would you have input with the minister to talk about it?
4:45 p.m.
Director General, Cultural Industries, Department of Canadian Heritage
We do provide a briefing note to the minister on all CRTC reports, so we would brief the minister on the impact of that report.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Thank you.
That brings our round of questioning to a close here today. We have one other item of business that we want to do.
I'd like to thank you both for coming today.
Usually at the end I have a couple of comments, which I jotted down through the conversations.
I was part of the feature film committee that went around and produced that report, so I know that the 67¢ dollar was a great incentive for movies to be made here in Canada. The movement of the dollar upward has had a great impact, not only on the movie industry but on industry in general in Canada.
Again, promotion was one of the things we heard about everywhere we went. You can make the greatest movie, but if no one sees it, who knows? “Getting the bums in the seat” type of thing was one of them.
December 4th, 2006 / 4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
It was mentioned. I think Mr. Angus can verify that various witnesses mentioned that you try to get people into the movie theatres. That's how they sell popcorn and those types of things to make a profit. So the promotion of Canadian feature films is very important.
Talking about the envelopes that are used, again, it's a great incentive for that person, if they have done a good job and whatever, so they don't have to go through the same routine. They are rewarded a wee bit for doing a good job and producing good movies.
I think those two envelopes have to be there.
New media is a great challenge, and not just a challenge but a positive challenge. There are so many things we can do in new media.
When Telefilm talks about the silos they have, if they could shift a bit of money from one silo to another and have an ease of doing that....
Again, I know someone who has done quite well selling Canadian content, primarily music CDs, and promoting them in the small place where I come from.
So those things are out there, and I would hope that some could find that way again with movies. As you explained, this group might own this movie and that group might own that one, so how do you make a package out of them? Probably there is a way.
Thank you very much for appearing here today.
Thanks, everyone, for your questions.
We'll have a five-minute break.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
That was a quick five minutes, but the sooner we get our business done, the sooner we can adjourn.
It's been brought to my attention that Mr. Bélanger would ask that we have our next three committee meetings televised. In order to do that, I would need consensus around the table. So I ask for consensus.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
If I may add something, I think what we should decide on is whether we are talking about all three sessions, because I'm sure we would all be in agreement that there are contrary perspectives that are going to be presented. I'm wondering if the clerk might be able to give us some short-term advice as to whether we could realistically anticipate being able to get the televised rooms for all three sessions on this short notice. Once we've determined that, then we can move forward.
4:55 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Jacques Lahaie
I did check, before coming this afternoon, about Wednesday's meeting, but that was at two o'clock. I don't know if in the meantime there were other notices posted, but at two o'clock there was one committee televising on Wednesday. The House facilities allow for two committees to be televised at the same time, so if there are no other notices for televising, we would have a chance on Wednesday. When I get back to the office I can check that. If there's still availability, I can send an amended notice for Wednesday.
As for the following week, I cannot guarantee anything at this point, but I'm going to try to make reservations.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Well, I'm just suggesting that it's important that we establish that all three meetings are going to be televised before we make a determination that we can go ahead with the first one.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you.
I think it is important that we try to make sure that all three are televised. I think the biggest hurdle would be the first one, because we are on short-notice time, unless you find through checking that there's a big problem with the other two.
If there is a problem on the second or third one that we can identify now, say that number two or number three can't be televised, I would not support televising, because I don't think that's fair. I don't think it would be fair to the other people who are coming forth. However, if we can find out if the first one can be televised and if we have a reasonable sense that the other two can be, I think we can make a decision to go forward, and I would support that.
