Canadian Heritage Committee on May 15th, 2014

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I would like to answer all your questions.

To be clear, the decision to cut jobs at Radio-Canada was not made by the government, but rather by Radio-Canada management. I even have quotations of remarks the union made before the cuts were announced, including one by Alex Levasseur, President of the Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada. He said this:

The eventual cuts will not be ordered by the federal government.

France Bélisle, Director of Communications and Public Relations at CBC/Radio-Canada, said the following:

The problem is that the advertising market is depressed for all media.

It was Hubert, his team and the unions that really provided the evidence.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Pardon me for interrupting you, but my next question is too urgent.

Ms. Glover, Hubert Lacroix specifically condemned the situation in a radio interview not so long ago. On this point, I want to hand the floor over to my colleague, Kennedy Stewart, who would like to ask you a question.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I can quote Mr. Lacroix's remarks if you wish.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Allow me to hand the floor over to my colleague.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We're all enjoying watching the playoffs on CBC, and I'm wondering why you killed Hockey Night in Canada.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Wow. You know very well—

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

You've cut funding for CBC, and now they can't—

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

You know very well that the government does not operate CBC. They make their own decisions. This was obviously—

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

But you have cut the funding for CBC.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I did not cut the funding for Hockey Night in Canada. In fact, Hockey Night in Canada was in the situation where entities bid on the rights to host the program, and as Hubert Lacroix said himself, “...it is the right outcome for Canadian hockey fans...”. That's a direct quote of him.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

If CBC had more money, we could be watching hockey on CBC—

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

However, here's what Hubert Lacroix also said about the cuts at CBC, which was a decision made as a result of the following: ...a weak advertising market...lower-than-expected schedule performance in the key 25-54-year-old demographic on CBC Television, lower than expected ad revenues...and the loss of the NHL contract...have combined to create an important revenue shortfall....

That is why he defines himself—

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

But it's also from cuts by the government—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you, Minister.

We're going to move to Monsieur Dion for seven minutes.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the minister and her two associates for being here with us today. I know how essential the relationship with a deputy minister is for a minister.

Minister, I am going to read you a quotation:

...our government made very specific, clear, and simple commitments to CBC/Radio-Canada, and that was that a Conservative government under Prime Minister Harper would maintain or increase funding for the CBC.

It was your predecessor, Mr. Moore, who said that in 2011.

The main estimates for 2014-2015 state, on page 34, that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's appropriation will be reduced by $115 million. Consequently, an additional $45.5 million still has to be cut in order to hit the 2012 target.

When I asked you in the House about the impact of these cuts, you answered that there would be none and that it was the CBC that was making those decisions. You know very well that makes no sense. If its parliamentary appropriations are cut by $115 million, that will necessarily force the CBC to take draconian measures. That is also contrary to the commitments made by your predecessor, Mr. Moore.

What has changed since Mr. Moore's statement? In 2011, when the recession had already been under way since 2008, he made a commitment to increase or maintain the CBC's budget. However, you have cut that budget. What has happened? I say "you", but that also includes Mr. Moore, since the cuts started in 2012.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you for your question, Mr. Dion.

As I previously said, you are referring to cuts that were made in 2012, during the global recession. Since then, Mr. Lacroix has clearly said he has enough resources to carry out his mandate. As he said, the corporation lost the hockey broadcasts, for which there was a key audience, and that resulted in a decline in its advertising revenues and viewership.

The current cuts are not attributable to a government decision. As I previously said, we allocate very significant funding because we acknowledge the importance of CBC/Radio-Canada's role.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

You cut $115 million in addition to the $7 million you withdrew from the Canada Media Fund.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

That was in 2012.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

There was also the CRTC decision to cut the budget by $47 million.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

We have not cut funding to the Canada Media Fund. We allocate $134.1 million to that fund. That is based on a partnership with other businesses—

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

All those cuts amount, in constant 2014 dollars, to a $227-million reduction in CBC/Radio-Canada's parliamentary appropriations relative to 2006, when the Conservatives came to power. That represents a cut of 18%, nearly one-fifth of its budget.

You are telling members and Canadians that it is not the government that is making these cuts and that, if CBC/Radio-Canada takes draconian measures such as cutting some 600 full-time positions, that has nothing to do with you and that you, as a minister, need not be concerned about it. Is that really what you claim?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

That is not what I said, Mr. Dion.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Then what are you saying?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

If you will allow me to finish, I would like to say what I have to say.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

You acknowledge that you have some responsibility for the current decisions.