Evidence of meeting #115 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
How much of your business is now digital, Mr. Bibic?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I'm sorry, Mr. Noormohamed, but we've run out of time. We're over time actually.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
It's getting close to 40% of revenues.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I will now go to Mr. Champoux for two and a half minutes and then to Ms. Ashton for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Bibic, earlier I asked you a question with a long introduction. I'm going to make my introduction a little shorter and give you some answers that you gave me in response to my very simple question earlier.
Imagine if the government were to invest more in advertising on traditional media—that would already provide a big boost—and that the web giants were called on to contribute so that the market was fair for both them and traditional broadcasters, and that the regulatory burden was lighter or at the very least adapted to today's reality, as broadcasting undertakings have been asking for a long time.
Mr. Bibic, we know that news isn't profitable, but we also know that regional news shapes the identity of the regions in Quebec and Canada. We also know that when we stop talking about hyperlocal stories, our hyperlocal presence completely disappears, and phasing out the news threatens the regions' identities.
You have a responsibility in that regard. So if we balance the market to ensure that we level the playing field for everyone. Knowing that news is not profitable, many fear that the cutbacks that have already been made at this time will be irreversible and that you will decide to invest the money you recover elsewhere.
Are you prepared today, Mr. Bibic, yes or no, to assure Quebeckers and Canadians that, once the current crisis's problems have been resolved, you will reinvest in regional newsrooms in Quebec and Canada and not cover news in the regions remotely, as you are currently doing?
Can you make that commitment to Quebeckers and Canadians today?
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately, I don't have a crystal ball. So I can't give you a clear answer. However, the idea would be to continue investing to keep producing news like we do today.
We are investing in Quebec. We've expanded our newsroom. This is a concrete example of the spirit that drives us on this subject. However, the playing field has to be levelled in order to—
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
With all due respect to my Liberal colleagues, Mr. Bibic, it seems that you are answering questions like the government answers questions from the opposition these days, saying that it will continue to continue.
The question is very simple. I know that you invest in the news, but I'm telling you that the crisis is also affecting the regions in particular. Quebec's and Canada's regions need regional, local and hyperlocal news, or they will not survive.
I'm proposing that you make a very simple commitment today. If the web giants invest in the ecosystem to ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules and is subject to the same pressures, the same realities and the same profit margins, will you commit to reinvesting in newsrooms or will everything stay the same, and will we see newsrooms continue to shut down?
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
That would probably help us do more, but the changes would have to be sweeping and meaningful.
Liberal
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
When Canadians heard you were coming to Parliament, Mr. Bibic, we were flooded with messages. Among them, I received a heartbreaking letter from someone whose parents lost their jobs with a company that Bell recently bought after working there for over 30 years. They're in their fifties, and their financial security has been ripped apart. The young person wrote, “My parents' work supported the company's growth for years, and now they've been left with not even a minimum settlement package required by law to allow us to secure our house and our finances. Now we are faced with financial uncertainty. I will have to delay my studies to help my family until my parents find a secure position. I hope that you will take Bell to task on their unethical business practices. We live in fear, uncertainty and anxiety while Bell gives shareholders increased dividends on profits.”
Mr. Bibic, this is the human cost of your decision. This is what a real crisis looks like. This young person is watching you today. What's your message to him?
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
That example just shows how, for the individuals directly affected, it's very difficult. I acknowledge his parents' contribution to Bell and to the company they worked for before that became part of the Bell family, and I thank them for that. I recognize that when you're directly affected, there is no good process. What I will say, however, is that, in terms of the separation package offered, we're being compliant with legal—
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
What about the packages that they're entitled to that they haven't received?
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
Without a doubt, every package—
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
I'm sure your words ring hollow without the severance, let alone with the firing.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
We would be in compliance with all legal requirements related to the separation packages.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
I'm not sure that this was from the most recent round of layoffs, but it appears that that's not the case. Regardless, it seems that Bell could not live up to its obligations, including in terms of the buyout.
I want to move—
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
I wouldn't say “regardless” because if that's the case, we want to fix it. So, if that could be shared with the clerk so that it could come to me so that I can look into it—
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
No, it's a very serious issue.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Ms. Ashton has the floor. She did not finish, and you cut her off.
Continue, Ms. Ashton.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I just want to turn to how Canadians are getting ripped off by your company. We know that, for example, in terms of cellphone service.... To put it into perspective, scrolling Instagram in France for five minutes, for example, costs about half a cent, but here in Canada, it costs 20 cents. Canadians are getting screwed. This has everything to do with the oligopoly that you and the other two major telecoms are running in our country.
Why do Canadians have to pay some of the highest cellphone rates as you sit back gaining millions of dollars off the backs of Canadian consumers and Canadian workers?
President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc.
I would ask the honourable member to provide to the clerk the case she mentioned before about the separation packages because if we weren't in compliance with the requirements, we will look into it. It's very important. Every individual who departed needs to have their legal separation package, so if that happened, we will correct it.