Thank you for the question, Mr. Rayes.
I have two points to make in response.
In fact, a fund already exists to support public interest participation in CRTC processes in broadcasting. It's called the broadcasting participation fund. The problem is that there is really no long‑term funding to support the activities of the broadcasting participation fund. The fund has supported a number of organizations that have intervened in cases before the CRTC. I gave Mr. Aitchison the example of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. It is an example of an organization that is trying to ensure that the interests of Canadians are taken into account. I am currently on their website.
Their mission is “To help Canadians save money and feel respected in the provision of regulated services”, and the vision of the organization is “To ensure no Canadians are taken advantage of in the provision of essential, needed regulated services.”
We can see that the Public Interest Advocacy Centre is very active in the CRTC processes.
Once again, we recognize that there is a problem with funding, so we want to make sure that the CRTC has the power to go ahead and create a fund like the broadcasting participation fund that will support those organizations in the long term. That is why the bill is proposing to add paragraph 11.1(1)(c) to the act.