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.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay, we'll do that.
Mr. Abbott had requested...
Yes, Mr. Siksay.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Chair, I'm happy with continuing questioning, but I do believe that once the bells start ringing, we should adjourn the meeting. I am not prepared to sit here, given the shenanigans that have happened with votes in the past in the House.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
You've heard all about the shenanigans, okay.
Mr. Abbott, first.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
I'd like to make what I hope will be taken as a helpful suggestion. I think there's no question, with the kinds of questions that have been asked by members of all parties, that there's a desire to see the ability to do whatever we can do in order to make our society safer. The dispute, I suppose, is between the position of the proposer of this motion and our friends from the Bloc, who are supporting him, in terms of this bill and what it would mean.
When Mr. von Finckenstein was here, I think he made a very constructive suggestion. He was talking about the CRTC having two extremes, of having a scalpel that wouldn't be useful in some situations and a hammer that would take three or four years to get any kind of penalty, if a penalty was going to be imposed against a broadcaster. What he asked was that the CRTC be given the power to impose administrative monetary penalties, or AMPs. If I recall correctly, he was asking if that could be included in Bill C-327. I think most of us recall that.
I would like to make, hopefully, the constructive suggestion to my colleagues that before we conclude our hearings on Bill C-327, we recall Mr. von Finckenstein--and it might even be very brief, maybe just even half an hour--to speak directly to this so we can have that as part of our consideration as to how we end up dealing with Bill C-327.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chairman, I don't have with me, as I thought I did, the speaking notes that Mr. von Finckenstein left with us, but if I recall, he offered to present to the committee amendments to that effect.
Perhaps we may want to recall him; I don't know. But perhaps before then the committee, through our clerk, could ask Mr. von Finckenstein to submit those amendments, whatever he had in mind, and we could take a look at them and then decide whether we want to go down that route or not. I would suggest that approach, which falls in line with what Mr. Abbott has suggested, but we may not need to have him back.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I will go to Mr. Scott and then Ms. Mourani, and we'll be quick.
Liberal
Andy Scott Liberal Fredericton, NB
I'm glad Ms. Wong is looking this way. If Mr. Abbott is suggesting there's interest on the part of the government in response to the intervention made by Mr. von Finckenstein the last time he was here, I would be interested in what the B.C. Civil Liberties Association position would be on that possibility. And I'm not picking on the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. What I'm thinking is that other witnesses who are here to speak to this bill would be very informative in responding to that idea as well, so the quicker we get it, the more value-added we can bring from other witnesses on that idea.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Ms. Mourani, very quickly, because I have to thank our witness.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I would like to make a request, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Wong said that there were studies, though she did not say which ones, that showed that there was in fact no connection between violence on television and violent behaviour among young people. I may be wrong—she will be able to tell me—but that is what I thought I understood when she was speaking to Mr. Chong. If those kinds of studies do exist, I would like them to be provided to the committee and not just referred to vaguely. I want to see those studies and I would like to examine them.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
We'll take that into consideration.
At this particular point, though, I thank Ms. Wong for being here today. Thank you very much for being an informative witness.
