Evidence of meeting #49 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Are you talking about the Pointe-à-Callière museum or 375th anniversary of the city of Montreal?
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
I am talking about the Pointe-à-Callière museum as part of the 375th anniversary.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
With respect to the Pointe-à-Callière museum, the investment has already been made, but that is not the case for the 375th anniversary of the city of Montreal. Mayor Tremblay, at the time, said nothing to me about that. He sent me a letter in which he said, generally, that we should do something and we should work together. We know that. There was no specific request. In the campaign for the election of the next mayor of Montreal, that will undoubtedly come up in debates during the leadership race. After that, we will be prepared, as a government, to work with the people at the City of Montreal.
On Monday, Mayor Applebaum was there, and I told him that discussions on this subject could be initiated between his officials and ours. It is important that the celebrations of Canada's 150th birthday include the city of Montreal, but it is undoubtedly also important for the people of Montreal to celebrate their 375th anniversary independently of the celebrations of Canada's birthday. We can certainly respond to requests in that regard.
Conservative
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Thank you, sir. Thank you, Minister. It's good to see you again, and the deputy minister as well.
I want to turn my attention to the CBC. The hearings are ongoing right now at the CRTC to discuss our national broadcaster. One of the things they've mentioned is that they're worried about not fulfilling the mandate given to them by Parliament by the act itself.
According to the supplementaries we have, what normally is $60 million is now down to just over $30 million, $32.2 million to be exact. They have said the reduction of $100 million over that three-year period is going to be hurtful. Now with the hockey strike, it's likely to be devastating.
Conservative
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Lockout, strike—there's no hockey, pal. Let's be honest.
Conservative
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
I guess so.
One looks at this and thinks, our public broadcaster is in big trouble.
You said earlier that you separated the two, of funding between the CBC and what was in your action plan. I don't think that's really the case. I think you have to take a serious look again at what is going to happen to our public broadcaster in light of the financial restraints they're under, and what effect this is going to have on local broadcasters in relation to specific CBC sites.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
There are things we can control and things we can't control with regard to the CBC. We don't direct the CBC. The CRTC—
Liberal
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Agreed. Let me point out, though, the broader dynamic.
Things we do control, the CBC's pay budget, yes. We control the sunsetters, yes, which is reflected in the budget that you're referring to. We also control the Canada Media Fund, which is now A-based in our budget as of last year's budget. It is $100 million per year by the Government of Canada, leveraged by $262 million last year, $362 million in money that was going to disappear, $362 million of which more than a third goes to the CBC. That has to be factored in as well. By the way, that amount, frankly, almost offsets the reduction, if you compare apples to apples. They were receiving money from the Canadian Television Fund before, but that money being A-based now and being a permanent part of the infrastructure is something that CBC can now forever count on. That's very important.
We don't control the CRTC's licensing requirements of the CBC. We do not control the CRTC's decision on the local programming improvement fund and what consequences that has for the CBC. We don't control the NHL, their labour issues, and what that means for the ad revenue for the CBC. We don't control the general economy and the ad revenue market for the CBC all together. We take all those things together—
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
No, but Minister, you can't walk away from that part of it because, ultimately, you are the person who has to look after the Broadcasting Act—
Conservative
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
You have to make sure that the mandate is fulfilled for Canadians.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Let me finish my point, though. Of those things that we do control versus those things that we don't control, the things that we don't control are by far the greater challenge to the public broadcaster. They are by far the greater challenge.
Those things that we do control, having worked with the CBC—and, again, we didn't reduce funding for the CBC overnight. We didn't drop it off a cliff and say, “There you go, now deal with it.” We worked with the CBC for months and months on how they would do their share to help Canada arrive at a balanced budget. We've seen pretty aggressive language in Parliament from both your party and the NDP about the importance of balancing the budget this week. We worked with the CBC for months on how they could do their part to balance the budget while still achieving their mandate in the Broadcasting Act.
The president and the board of directors of the CBC put together their 2015 plan, which does respect their obligations to the Broadcasting Act. They say—and they still say—that they can achieve their mandate in the Broadcasting Act with the funds that are contained in this budget. For sure they're going to make an argument—
Liberal
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
That's fine, but the CBC doesn't agree with you.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
No, that's not true. That's not true at all.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
For sure the CBC will make their argument at the CRTC to have a little bit more leverage to have access to the ad revenue on the radio side that they're asking for. For sure they'll make those demands and, of course, they'll say they're very close to the line, and I don't doubt that they are.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Hubert Lacroix, his abilities and his assessment of the broadcaster, but in terms of the things that we can control, having worked with them, arriving at budget 2012 and this three-year plan, it works simpatico with their plan for 2015. We are working together on this, which is why Hubert Lacroix, the president of the CBC, said that they will review their approach in a way that does not compromise their 2015 plan. That was his direct quote coming out of this budget, which is the 2015 plan, which is their mandate in the Broadcasting Act. He said that the budget will not change their path for their 2015 strategy. We're working with them, not against them.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Minister, we both know what's going to happen down the road. There are going to be some devastating cuts to our public broadcaster. They just don't have that choice. A lot of the stuff they were banking on and counting on. I don't expect this person from a crown corporation to walk up to you and say that you're making a huge mistake.
Conservative
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
They might be in this particular case. I would be, certainly.
