Indeed, it was part of the corporation's mandate. That said, the best way of doing this is to provide a voice to the various communities. We are not saying that what is being done in Quebec is unimportant or that it should be scaled back.
In actual fact, Radio-Canada suffered egregious cuts and salvaged what it could, but it did cast aside some things. We absolutely need Société Radio-Canada to be very strong in Quebec. There is some creativity in all of the fields; we only need to look at film and publishing, for instance. That said, without Quebec, we would not exist. For there to be real dialogue between the regions of Canada, they need to be given real voices.
It is very important for Franco-Ontarians to know that anglophone communities are experiencing the same challenges they are. It is a reality. Because of cutbacks, television has gotten more commercial, more profit- and production-cost based. Getting the same service throughout Canada is not as obvious as it should be. Cable operators do not all provide access to the same products throughout the country. To really play its role as our national broadcaster, the CBC should guarantee access throughout this country.
Through an honest discussion giving voice to all regions of Canada so they can project their reality, the good things they've done, the grievances they've had and the challenges they've experienced; that is how we can strengthen national unity. It is not by using Radio-Canada as some sort of propaganda tool, as Mr. Chrétien often wanted to do, that you can promote Canadian unity. It will always reflect diversity. That is the very nature of this country. Perhaps we are a challenge or a historical bleep, but that's exactly what it is.
In the field of news, Radio-Canada has always done a good job in that it was despised both by federalists and sovereigntists. During the most recent referendum campaigns, both factions despised Radio-Canada. That must mean that journalists managed to maintain a level of objectivity and to strike a balance.
I think you understand what I'm saying. That is how we can really talk about national unity.