Canadian Heritage Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, again we're getting into speculation.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

It's in his speech.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

This has nothing to do with--

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

On this, I think the question can be answered.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to elaborate on my point of order.

He has referred to an item in the speech that doesn't address the issue of privatizing the CBC.

Mr. Scott, what you're asking him to do is to comment or speculate on what he might do in the future. If you look at Standing Orders 110 and 111, they specifically say that the job of this committee is to examine the qualifications and competence of the appointee or nominee.

Mr. Chair, I ask you to apply the rules we have, the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. This is a limited review of an appointee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'm going to have a little chat with my clerk for one second....

All right. I'm going to let the question stand.

I think we'll ask Mr. Lacroix to answer.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Actually, I'm very happy to answer this question.

I just want to tell you that I didn't take this job to privatize services. I took this job because it's a company that has to deliver all sorts of programming on a whole bunch of platforms.

So we're not going to do this. That's not the purpose of the job I took. My job is to clearly continue doing what we do well--maximize the efficiency, focus on programming, make sure we deliver it on all platforms that exist today, and make sure we are also at the technical edge of what's coming around.

People look to CBC/Radio-Canada to be that and we will be that. At the end of the day, we'll be very compelling and relevant to all Canadians.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

I'm reassured by that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for allowing the question to be put so we could be reassured.

When you spoke of new sources of revenue—and this not being one—what were you thinking of when you included this reference in your presentation? What kinds of new sources of revenue did you mean?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

New sources of revenue, for me, involve any strategic alliance—and that is why these words are in the same sentence, or just about—that allow CBC, through a partnership or a different way of doing things, to maximize the quality of its assets and the alliances it has, thereby making sure it increases its cashflow to be ploughed back into programming.

I look forward to sitting down with the management team and to sitting down with Madame Charbonneau, who's a great CFO and whom I've had the pleasure of meeting.

That's where we're going.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Generally, the witnesses who appeared before the committee when we were undertaking the review identified significant funding shortfalls for new media, for regional programming, and for drama, particularly English drama. Would you see a possible source of revenue as an increase in the appropriation from the Government of Canada?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

You've seen the management team of CBC/Radio-Canada in front of you many times. I think Mr. Rabinovitch's first concern was making sure the management of this company was something everybody would be proud of. Once the house were in order, which I understand it is now, then coming back here to share with this committee some of the concerns and issues we have, and making sure you endorse some of the projects we have, is surely one of the ways to make sure we have all the revenues we need.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

On the Radio-Canada side, we had a lot of interventions from francophone communities outside of Quebec about the need for their communities to be reflected.

I come from New Brunswick. The Acadian population

would say the same thing.

Have you got your mind around that and the role of Radio-Canada as it relates to that particular series or group of communities?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

On regionalization, I know you've read the Broadcasting Act, of which a very important part states what Radio-Canada should be doing. If you look at the stated objectives of CBC/Radio-Canada in its plan for 2007-2011, regionalization is also very clearly stated as an objective and a priority for the corporation.

I know you've received presentations trying to increase the dollar envelopes for regionalization. I think you understand this is a priority for the company, and I understand these priorities and will be supporting them strongly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

I think we've come to an end there. I gave you a little extra time because we had the decision to make.

Mr. Malo, please.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, Mr. Lacroix. Thank you for being with us.

I believe you when you say your role is not to privatize. You take the broader view. You are a mergers and acquisitions expert. You want businesses to grow and develop in a satisfactory manner in a competitive environment. I like that.

In addition, I see in your CV that you are a basketball man. So I don't need to convince you that the Corporation must play an increasing role in a world where obesity rates are reaching frightening levels. The Corporation must indeed play a more active role in promoting healthy living habits.

Am I wrong?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

You're talking to someone who has worked in the circle of Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien, the man who started ParticipACTION, and who sits on the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation. You know Mr. Chagnon's interest in the obesity problem and in fitness, for all kinds of reasons. You are absolutely right when you describe me in those terms.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Lacroix, to use a Radio-Canada television expression, I'm now going to ask you the killer question: will we be seeing Saturday night NHL hockey on Radio-Canada again?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I haven't yet taken up my position, but, like you, I read the newspapers in June when RDS reached an agreement with the NHL to rebroadcast its games. From what I read in the papers, that agreement will last five years. I assume there was a proper competition and that RDS won it.

Consequently, I don't think there'll be NHL hockey on Radio-Canada on Saturday night. I would like there to be. When the contract is up for negotiation again, I'm convinced that the Radio-Canada people will be there.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

So that's the question that killed.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Indeed.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

I see in your CV that, unlike your predecessor, you have a certain amount of experience in public network administration. Will that affect your way of doing things? Will you be more of a private sector officer or a person in the service of the public? In your opinion, what are the significant and fundamental differences between the public network and television, on the one hand, and the private network and television, on the other?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

My role will be to direct the business and ensure that people like Sylvain Lafrance and Richard Strusberg, who have programming talent, and the teams set up by those two businessmen, can do their jobs and deliver good programming. For me, the strategic orientation will mainly consist in supporting the work of the entire CBC/Radio-Canada team, the result of which it will be possible to see on the airwaves and on the Web every day.

As for the difference between a public service and a private service, I see none as regards the way in which the business is managed. It's not because it's public that measures should be less numerous or significant, or that we don't have an obligation to ensure that every action taken can be monitored. So with regard to management, there's no doubt in my mind. In any case, I'm convinced, in light of what I see, that that's what is going on right now, sir.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

But apart from management, are there any differences between public and private networks?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Of course. The mandate under the act suggests that CBC/Radio-Canada should do much more than the private network where I worked. At Télémédia, there weren't any major cultural measures. The prevailing measures were very commercial and turned on a single concern, whether we were able to increase our market share. CBC/Radio-Canada does much more than that.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Have you responded to all those people who have made comments to you on how CBC/Radio-Canada should operate?