Evidence of meeting #22 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 code.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
You talked briefly about parents having to take a course in media literacy. It's not necessarily a course. There are places on various websites where there are little 10-point plans. It's simple: print it off, stick it on your refrigerator. Some of them are so simple. If there is a computer in the house, keep it in a place where parents can keep an eye on it. They don't have to stand behind their kids all the time when they're online, but if it's squirrelled away in the family room or a bedroom, you don't know what's happening.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Here's a suggestion. Maybe the cable companies, when they send your bill, should insert something about this.
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
Rogers has done that in the past. They've been a good corporate citizen.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you for being here with us today, Mr. MacKay. It is already ten years since you published your book on the V-chip. From what I understand you to have said, there has been no real evaluation of the use and effectiveness of the V-chip. Is that correct?
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
Allow me to clarify: it wasn't my book. I wrote one chapter in a book that was published by somebody else.
To respond to your question, no, we have not done any national surveys that I am aware of about the use of the V-chip in Canada. There have been some studies done in the States, funded by the Pew Research Center and the media, but there have not been any studies done since the encoding for the V-chip was introduced in 2001.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Do you think that studies ought to have been carried out? If so, by whom?
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
I think it's worthwhile to do. I think an organization with the reputation of the Media Awareness Network would be a great place to start, but they would need financial support to make that happen. Perhaps the heritage department might wish to kick in, and perhaps Health Canada might wish to kick in.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
I appreciate that you are perhaps not completely objective with regard to the code since you wrote it. However, I would like to ask whether you believe it to be perfect? Does it adequately address the public's concerns with regard to monitoring the violence on television to which young people are exposed?
5:25 p.m.
As an Individual
I think it's very effective, especially in terms of children's programming. It was one of the first codes of its kind in the world that put very severe limitations on the depiction of violence in children's programming. I think it has played a major role.
One of the things that sets this country apart is that its children's programming, by its very nature, is very non-violent. I think we have an enviable reputation around the world for the calibre of our children's programming. If, again, you're looking for something proactive to do, the more funding there is to produce better children's programming, the less reason to put on less better children's programming.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Thank you.
With that, Mr. MacKay, thank you very much for attending today. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated by this committee.
5:25 p.m.
As an Individual
I'm glad to participate, Mr. Chairman. If there's anything more I can provide, I'm at your disposal.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay. Thank you.
Just before we adjourn, I will say that we won't have any witnesses at our April 1 meeting. What I hope to do is sit down and get direction on where we're going, where this committee is going to go.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Yes.
One of our witnesses today got caught in a train. The train went backwards instead of forwards. So I think, in fairness, we can talk about that on April 1.
With that, I wish everyone a good two weeks of constituency work.
Ms. Mourani, very short, please.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Chairman, in the spirit of collegiality, we could perhaps agree to have Mr. Caron appear before us. It is a bit of a shame: first, he came all this way to meet with the CRTC and now he has had a problem with his train. Let us just agree to hear from him. At least let Ms....
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay.
I'm not saying we're not going to meet with them. We'll decide how many more witnesses we might want to see. There have been some other suggestions here today. We'll deal with that.
Yes, Mr. Bélanger, very short, please.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chairman, is there any way we could either delegate this to a steering committee or have some sort of a conference call over the next two weeks, so we don't take a whole meeting on April 1 to determine...?
Personally, unless we're going to have Monsieur Caron, and perhaps some kids, I'd be prepared to go to clause-by-clause. I'd love to have a commitment to see what the CRTC has to propose and perhaps even deal with the bill in the first week we're back.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Well, that would be my understanding, too, when I'm talking about when we're back that first week.
My thing is that when we get into saying it's not going to take very long to do some of this stuff, it does take a long time.
Catherine will look after getting various materials to people over the two weeks; we'll come back on April 2 and we'll decide where we're going. That's how I want to do it. I want to be fair to Ms. Mourani. She has said that the Bloc hasn't had any of its witnesses here. I want to treat everyone fairly.
So on April 1, we'll decide where we're going to go, we'll make sure that if we're going to have more witnesses we'll do that, and if we have to, then we'll....
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chairman, you have said--and I don't think you're sensing much disagreement--that you want to accede to Madame Mourani's desire to hear Monsieur Caron. Why don't we schedule him for the first hour, if we can, and then take the second hour on April 1 to determine--
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Chair, just so we don't lose any time, if in fact we're going to have Monsieur Caron here, and we have the intention of bringing children as well, then we might as well have kids here on the same day. Then we can wrap it up the following...and go to clause-by-clause.