Evidence of meeting #21 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was qualifications.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
That was a no.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Your time is up, Mr. Siksay.
We'll go to Mr. Fast, please.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Patrone, I'm glad to hear you investigated the CRTC and its role. I was really pleased to hear that you had looked at some of the biographies of the current members on the board.
In going through those biographies, were there any individuals on the board who actually bring broadcast journalism experience to the board? If so, how many?
4 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
I would say Michel Morin is the closest one in terms of the skills that I would bring to the table. Monsieur Morin has impeccable credentials as a reporter and he has worked in foreign bureaus. I've had a chance to have lunch with him to pick his brain and to allow him to work on his English while I worked on French. He represents Radio-Canada, of course. That's what he brings to the table, anyway, in terms of his background from Quebec.
Frankly, I think it's a nice balance to have somebody from the private side, from eastern Canada, who perhaps also has the journalism background, but from a slightly different perspective--from the private broadcast side rather than the public.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Are you saying you're bringing to the table a regional view that may not be reflected in the CRTC right now, at least on the board. You're also bringing a TV broadcast journalism perspective to the table that may not be as prominent on the board right now.
4 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
I would say we have an excellent regional commissioner. Elizabeth Duncan has been there for a while. She brings excellent credentials from an accounting background. Until now, we didn't have anybody sitting as a national commissioner from that part of the country.
So I would say yes, that's true. I have some radio background, but most of it, as you've seen, is on the television side.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Let me go through your background. I think I'll go backwards and list some of the employment history that you've given to us.
Just before your appointment you were a broadcast journalist with CTV Atlantic in Halifax. That was for 14 years.
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
That's correct, fourteen and one-half years. I started in September 1993.
That was a return to CTV. I had actually worked in New Brunswick for two and one-half years, where I ran the bureau. So I gained an appreciation of life in the Maritimes, in that part of the Maritimes. That was from about 1990 to 1992.
Then I moved to Halifax, where I worked for a Global affiliate and then spent some time at Broadcast News/Canadian Press, before returning to CTV in 1993.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
You've also had some public television experience, public access television.
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
Yes, it was a fairly brief experience, but it was a perspective that I appreciated, working for a cable company. It's part of what the CRTC does.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
If you could extract two or three key skills you developed through your many years of broadcast journalism, skills that might contribute to the debates at the CRTC board level, what would they be?
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
When you look at a hearing, it's very much Q and A on the part of the commissioners and the various people who appear—as I am appearing here today to answer questions. A journalist brings to the table powers of analysis, interviewing skills, skills and abilities associated with having access to information, absorbing it, getting the essence of that information, and being able to draw from the various people being interviewed facts associated with what they're trying to say.
I would say interviewing skills, skills of analysis, communication skills. Certain comments have been made, perhaps, about my lack of skills as an executive. Now, I'm not saying that those skills are not valuable, but I would suggest that the skills of a journalist are equally valuable. You're on the ground dealing with people constantly, dealing with the public. Managerial abilities are already well represented on the commission. The position of a commissioner is not managerial in nature. You do not have a staff of dozens who report to you. You work with staff, you consult with staff, staff come to your office. There is that back-and-forth of information. There's also give-and-take between commissioners, where you communicate between commissioners, talk about different positions. Those communications skills are also incredibly valuable.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
I'm the CRTC guy. I spent a good part of my career with CTV. I make no apologies for that. I learned a heck of a lot while I worked there. But I also recognize that one must be absolutely fair. That, by the way, is another skill that journalists might bring to the table, the element of fairness.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you, I accept that.
Have you ever been a member of the Radio-Television News Directors Association?
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
I've never been a member of that organization.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
Designated as member of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), As an Individual
Yes, I have been a member of the Atlantic journalism.... There is a loose association of journalism. I was also a member of Howe Room group, the legislative association at the Nova Scotia legislature.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
When Mr. MacDonell approached you, had you ever submitted a resumé for other government positions?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. We're getting into the process of Mr. Patrone's appointment. In fact, we're going far beyond it. He's talking about a history of other applications he may have made. That has nothing to do with his qualifications.
I would like to read, for the record, the salient provisions of Standing Order 111, subsection 2:
The committee, if it should call an appointee or nominee to appear pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, shall examine the qualifications and competence of the appointee or nominee to perform the duties of the post to which he or she has been appointed or nominated;
That's the framework within which this hearing takes place.
I know Mr. Regan is attempting to veer off into other issues, other appointments. That's not the point here. We're talking about Mr. Patrone being appointed to the CRTC board.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Chairman, on the same point of order, clearly it appears that Mr. Fast wants to censor the work of the committee. In my view, it is our responsibility to examine this appointment, the qualifications, and the circumstances of the appointment. And if in fact he has submitted his resumé for other kinds of appointments, that's certainly valid and relevant.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I have taken this out of Marleau and Montpetit, for committees:
Questioning by members of the committee may be interrupted by the Chair, if it attempts to deal with matters considered irrelevant to the committee’s inquiry. Among the areas usually considered to be outside the scope of the committee’s study are the political affiliation of the appointee or nominee, contributions to political parties and the nature of the nomination process itself.
We've already skirted the outside of this, so please keep questioning a little closer to the qualifications of this witness.
Mr. Bélanger.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chairman, I haven't intervened so far, but with all due respect, if the witness himself had not mentioned his own political affiliation, perhaps you'd be right in reprimanding us about raising it. He raised it.
