Canadian Heritage Committee on May 6th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I now call to order the thirteenth meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), a study on the emerging and digital media, opportunities and challenges.

Just before we go to our first witnesses, it was brought to my attention that possibly next week we couldn't, as a committee, attend the Canada 3.0 digital conference in Stratford, but that we might send one of our analysts. We've come up with a little bit of a budget to send Marion for those two days, and he would bring a report back to the committee on the various workshops and what went on there.

We set a budget together of $1,873 to send Mr. Ménard to the conference.

Perhaps I could get a motion.

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If you could just help me and I think the other members understand, I'd really like to get a grasp on the benefit of it, how you foresee that. Ultimately, it's the members around the table who have to have an understanding of what's going on there, if it's going to be useful, and I just want to understand how this was conceived and what you hope the outcome of it will be.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

My idea was that we have someone there, because the whole committee couldn't go. I think it's a very important conference.

We have some time for the request that Ms. Dhalla had for the event going on in Toronto. My thinking is, if we had someone with the expertise, such as our analysts have, and that person could bring back a report to us, it would be just as though this committee were there.

Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I looked at both conferences. It's too bad that we aren't going to the Stratford conference. I think there's a lot of stuff that's germane to our report.

I looked at Ms. Dhalla's request. I think it's more germane to the industry committee. We're looking more into telecommunications. They are already in a study, so I think it might be worth recommending that conference for their committee.

In terms of Mr. Ménard going, if he does go, I'd actually like, then, to take the time for him to present to us a bit. If I just get a paper, it isn't the same thing. It would be odd for us to question one of our analysts, but if he's going to go, I'd prefer that he come back and say, “These were the key recommendations, these were the key voices”, and then we could decide whether we need those witnesses or not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Just to Charlie's point, ultimately, what we're doing here will culminate in a report, will culminate hopefully in a direction or a pathway that the committee would like to see the government undertake. To have recommendations or to have things in the report that, frankly, the committee never heard wouldn't be overly helpful towards us putting together recommendations.

I think, to Charlie's point, there has to be more than just having somebody attend the conference so that they get a grasp of what's going on, because, with due respect to the analysts, the analysts aren't the ones who are actually going to preside over what the report ultimately says.

It's very important that the people around the table, the elected individuals around the table, actually have an understanding or a comprehension of what's going on at it. So I'd like to make sure that if we're going to do that we have some kind of plan or rationale as to why, because, ultimately, if we're not getting the information, then it's of no value to us in the report.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

I agree with Mr. Del Mastro. If we are to send somebody to this conference, we expect that, when he came back, he would provide us with a presentation and tell us what he saw and discussed. That presentation would not necessarily result in a recommendation because not all of the committee is attending the conference. But the person who goes must at least provide us with a report. I agree, this is an important conference. We cannot all go, we will send someone there and then we should be briefed soon afterwards in order to get a full summary of the conference.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

If we're good with that, that's fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay. Do I have a motion to accept the budget of $1,873?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

So moved.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

It is moved by Mr. Del Mastro and seconded by Mr. Rodriguez.

(Motion agreed to)

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

On a point of information, are we discussing Mr. Angus' motion today or at the next meeting?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

It would be at the next meeting, yes.

Madame Lavallée.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

I would like Mr. Angus' motion to be put on the agenda, because, if we do not discuss it until the last five minutes, we will not have enough time to have a valid discussion.

Could we perhaps hear from fewer witnesses and spend 20 minutes on the motion? How much time would you like, Mr. Angus, half an hour? How much time do you think we need to debate your motion?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I think we'd need 20 minutes.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Would 20 minutes be okay?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'm just going to have a little conference with my clerk here for a minute.

We'll leave it with our clerk to fit it in. We'll talk to some of the witnesses, and at one meeting we'll try to cut those from 60 minutes to 50 minutes. That would give us our 20 minutes. We'll work it out going on. It might not be the next meeting; it will be in the near future, though.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

With all due respect, I'd prefer to have it on Tuesday, because it is coming up. We've given enough motions. Let's just deal with it then. There's no reason we can't go to 50 minutes. Mr. Chair, as long as you crack the whip--and I'll be watching you to make sure you do--then we could make it happen.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I will crack the whip. Already this morning, with the business we've done, we've taken time away from our witnesses.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Shame.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

So with that, we're going to go forward.

Our witnesses are from the Canadian Film and Television Production Association and Nordicity Group Limited. I'm going to ask Mr. Séguin to introduce his people. Well, I can do it all.

Marc Séguin is the senior vice-president of policy and John Barrack is the chief operating officer and chief legal officer with the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. From Nordicity Group Limited we have Peter Lyman, a senior partner.

Mr. Séguin or Mr. Barrack, go ahead, please.

Excuse me. Yes, Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Chair, I apologize for interrupting you. Do the representatives from the Canadian Film and Television Production Association have written presentations?

[Marc Séguin, Senior Vice-President, Policy, Canadian Film and Television Production Association]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

No. We're trying to keep our presentations.... It would be 10 minutes or less from each group.

No more interruptions.

Mr. Barrack.