Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I followed your presentation and I noted something that perhaps you will not agree with. Artists’ groups are complaining that the CRTC is heading towards deregulation. There is talk of a voluntary code. In the community, there is talk of deregulation.
Mr. Abbott raised a point I would like to discuss with you, that is, lighter regulation, which would offer greater freedom, take market forces into account and streamline the bureaucracy. When I hear all that, I am afraid of giving you more tools.
If there is a range of penalties, clearly there will be a tendency most often towards infractions entailing small penalties. Seldom if ever will extreme penalties going so far as suspension of a licence be imposed. It is well known that, where there is a range of penalties, people will always opt for a sort of halfway penalty that consists charging a series of small fines. At present, it is true that you do not have much choice: you can opt either for the minimum, or for the maximum.
Talk of deregulation, market forces and voluntary codes worries me. Perhaps it is better to keep the status quo. That way, there is not much choice. If someone repeatedly fails to abide by the regulations, at some point their licence must taken away. When people no long understand and just do whatever they feel like, maybe they should lose their licence.