Thank you.
Again, to our witnesses, I deeply appreciate your taking the time to come in to represent not only yourselves, but I'm sure many other people you have spoken to.
I was interested in the discussion about the enraged audience across Canada. I'm inclined to believe there are a number of people who are really quite exercised about this.
One of the difficulties that I must say I have had, though, in taking a look at this is that in section 40 of the Broadcasting Act it says:
The Corporation is ultimately accountable, through the Minister, to Parliament for the conduct of its affairs.
The Broadcasting Act also sets out in sections.... If you want to write these numbers down, I think they're germane. They are subsections 55(4) and 55(5), and subsections 71(1) and 71(2). These detail exactly how the corporation is to be responsible to the minister and ultimately to the government.
But subsection 46(5) is particularly vexatious, as it relates even to these hearings that we're in. It states that the Broadcasting Act guarantees the journalistic, creative, and programming independence of the CBC.
That is not to say that I, and I'm sure all of the people on the committee here, have not been listening to the pleas to instruct and recommend that the CBC restore things.
This is my question--and it is not a trick question, because it is something this committee is going to have to deal with. I would like to know from all six of you if you believe the standing committee should be able to give journalistic, creative, and programming direction to the CBC.
In the affirmative, that would mean this would be the starting point for this committee, in its wisdom, to choose to give direction to the government that we believe the committee, or whatever, should be able to give journalistic, creative, and programming direction to the CBC.