At the outset of our presentation I suggested that the real issue before the committee is not the state or performance of the CTF. We understand Shaw and Vidéotron have concerns about the fund. Some of these concerns are principled, and some relate to commercial interests. They're not alone in having issues with our decisions. Given all of the interests at the table—broadcasters, producers, BDUs, and so on—it would be a surprise if this were not the case. What sets Shaw and Vidéotron apart, however, is that they have related BDU operations that contribute to the CTF, and this gives them a significant financial lever with which to pursue their particular interests.
From the outset in 1994, the girders underlying the CTF's structure have required us to make our decisions in a manner that is completely free from the overriding financial interests of any particular stakeholder, group, or corporate interest. The job is to address the issues in the best interests of the broadcasting and production system as a whole and indeed in the interests of all Canadians.
The public policy considerations that led to the creation of the CTF came from the Broadcasting Act and the commission, from the work of parliamentarians such as yourselves, and from successive ministers of Canadian Heritage and their departmental officials.
We think the real question here today is who is to be primarily responsible for determining and designing the appropriate structures for supporting television production in this country with public resources? Is it to be Parliament, its ministers and officials, plus the mandated regulator, or is it to be private stakeholder groups with financial levers driving the debate?
We all understand that the television landscape is changing and that there are major new challenges to face. The CTF is looking forward to working through those challenges with the Department of Canadian Heritage and the minister and with all of our other stakeholder groups, in the way we always have in the past. This will surely involve change. Nevertheless, the CTF has proven itself to be an incredibly flexible and adaptive organization, and in this respect alone has been an innovative and outstanding public policy instrument for the Government of Canada and for all Canadians.
Mr. Chairman, you asked us to make a series of recommendations, and they are part of this presentation, but if I were to read them out to you, we would be well beyond our time period, so we leave them with you for your consideration.
Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity—