In light of these findings, we believe that a comprehensive government strategy is needed to develop a Canadian communications policy that would embrace dissemination, distribution and communication for both conventional and digital media, and that would reflect the values and principles that must be complied with in Canada. All the acts concerned can then be amended to comply with this policy framework.
Now, allow us to present a number of specific positions on foreign ownership, Canadian content, the major ownership groups, copyright and financing.
With regard to foreign ownership, it should be noted that the first principle of the broadcasting policy is to ensure that the broadcasting system is owned by Canadians and under their responsibility. We are convinced that is the only way to ensure compliance with all the other principles set out in the broadcasting policy. The federal government wants to deregulate this aspect for telecommunications and satellites. From the outset, we want to support the position of a number of cultural industry stakeholders, that there is no evidence that the relaxing of foreign ownership rules advocated by the federal government is the best way to solve the perceived problem of excessively high rates for consumers or of the lack of capital to develop infrastructure. We believe the government should analyze the problem, as necessary, and assess all the means at its disposal to solve it, as well as their impact. In that way, it will be in a position to implement the best solution. We are not convinced there is a problem, but, if that is the case, we believe the solution lies more in the enforcement of policies and regulations than in greater access to foreign capital.
What we fear is much too broad control by foreign interests. For example, a foreign business operating a satellite with growing bandwidth needs could promote the dissemination of its foreign content to the detriment of Canadian content, which could make it very difficult, even impossible, for Canadians to access Canadian content. How then could the principle of the diversity of voices be complied with.
Until the federal government has a clear and firm position that it will protect all Canadian cultural media from foreign control, we fear that what has happened in the case of Globalive will occur in the broadcasting field. The government should introduce policies, legislation and regulations that are solid and appropriate. It must ensure that the requirements arising from the Canadian Broadcasting Policy are equitably complied with in every distribution channel. Without this political will, the danger we refer to will be very real.