Thank you very much.
I wanted to thank Mr. Fast for explaining to me so clearly the difference between a judicial and quasi-judicial body and parliamentary committees. I had no idea.
I want to say, Mr. Chair, that page 7 of the report relates to what I'm speaking to. We have listened to witnesses, we have come up with this report, and extending on that, obviously the CRTC has launched the task force. A task force by nature, generally speaking, is a public body with public hearings. The argument that I continue to make is that when you have hearings in private and then a public report, no one knows whether that report reflects what was heard at the hearings. We are trusting completely that the body would do exactly that.
I confess to being skeptical. I read clearly here about Vidéotron on page 6, and we heard what Vidéotron said when they were present here at the last meeting of this committee, that no matter what they do right now—which for me is “let's keep everybody happy”, let's tread water, let's just put the band-aid on—their ultimate goal is to create a $109 million fund over three years for Canadian production as a replacement for its contribution to the CTF. The witness from Vidéotron was very clear that this was his ultimate goal. Over three years: that buys them three years to keep everybody happy and keep this quiet.
If this report speaks to issues relating to the Canadian Television Fund, it is completely within the jurisdiction of the report to speak to not only the short-term but the long-term stability of this fund. I think both of those things and the recommendation that I made relate directly to this report and to the CRTC task force that follows and builds on it. I believe it is important for accountability reasons.
The CRTC exists because Parliament has written it into existence; therefore, it has a duty to report to Parliament and to listen to what Parliament asks it to do. I am saying that we are speaking today about accountability. Accountability is not only whether you spend money; accountability is whether in fact you are doing the job you are supposed to do in an appropriate manner. I think it is entirely within our right to suggest that the CRTC should be accountable to Canadians at the end of the day, so that its work is clearly and openly done.
Where there are problems, the CRTC will have the ability to make decisions about listening to in camera hearings, but there must be public hearings. This is important to all Canadians. This is a public issue. It has to do with the future of Canadian production and Canadian programming, and I think it requires that we do what we must do now: we set in place the structures now that will require that we have a sustainable and permanent way of continuing with Canadian programming in this country. I think it's even more important now, when we know about new media and all of the other challenges that are facing Canadian production.
So I repeat that the recommendation I made will be brought forward on Thursday to be discussed and voted on. You have to give 48 hours' notice, and I did this yesterday.
Mr. Chair, I reiterate what I said notwithstanding Mr. Fast's detailed explanation about how things work around here.