Evidence of meeting #128 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 quebec.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Chair, I have a point of order. I would like to go back to the point of order previously raised by Mr. Champoux. We have ample opportunity to discuss CBC bonuses. We're going to be calling Madam Tait to come. She'll be here to discuss this.
This conversation today is on clause-by-clause on Bill C-354, as Mr. Champoux has rightly noted. It deals with something entirely different, and he has requested that you, as the chair, ensure that members are asking questions that are within the scope of today's meeting, which is specifically to discuss the one clause inside Bill C-354.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Thank you, Mr. Noormohamed. That is duly noted.
Mr. Jivani, keep within the scope of Bill C-354 in your questioning, if you don't mind, please.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
I believe we're asking some very relevant questions that Canadians would like answers to, but we can move on to another topic.
Mr. Ripley and Mr. Lorrain, are you familiar with a recent report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that $2.7 million has been spent on film festivals by this current government?
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.
This is a committee, not a circus. Would it be possible to call members to order so that we can stick to the matter at hand, that is to say the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C‑354, which is a response to a specific request made by the Government of Quebec? Let's stop going around in circles and talking about subjects that have nothing to do with the matter before us today. It is not very complicated; there is only one clause to consider. We can come back to my Conservative colleague's other concerns later, but we have to deal with this in 15 minutes. We are wasting time.
I would ask you to call the member to order and ask him to stick to Bill C‑354.
Conservative
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Well, Mr. Champoux expressed his concern over time. If we just got answers to the questions, we'd be moving along really smoothly, I think.
Mr. Ripley and Mr. Lorrain, did you or any other Heritage officials attend any of these very expensive film festivals?
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Look, it has become clear that there are those who would like to turn this into a circus, as Mr. Champoux rightly noted, and a clip machine. I think it would be wonderful if Conservative members, instead of trying to turn this into a clip factory, could actually focus on the substance of the legislation that is before us. A lot of work went into it by past members of this committee in debate when we were discussing this bill. Monsieur Champoux has spoken about the importance of having this conversation. All of us would like to get this bill done. It's one clause, for goodness' sake.
There's going to be ample opportunity to ask officials all kinds of questions about different things, but I think we all have the capacity to stay on point and on the subject of a one-clause piece of legislation. It would be wonderful, Mr. Chair, if you could ask this committee and all of us to really focus our questions on the specifics of this legislation. If not, we can all do exactly what Mr. Jivani is doing and ask questions that are totally irrelevant and waste a bunch of time, but we're all here to try and get this bill dealt with, so maybe we could just focus on that.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Thank you for your comments, Mr. Jivani.
Okay, Mr. Coteau, go ahead on your point of order.
Liberal
Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON
I think your job is to make sure we follow the agenda and stay within the scope of the agenda. If I started asking officials about different animals at the zoo, would you let that happen?
Liberal
Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Then stick to the agenda, keep in focus and stay within the scope. We will have a lot of.... Those questions are important questions. I'd love to hear some of the answers to some of those questions. We will have time. We will be focusing on the CBC, but let's just get through this piece of proposed legislation. It has been on the books now for such a long time. We went through the same thing with safe sport. We've been doing this non-stop for a few years now, just really going off in different directions.
I would ask you, as chair, to keep us focused and within scope.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Thank you.
Mr. Jivani, you've heard several people around the table here this morning. Please limit your questions to Bill C-354. In fact, we're dealing with the Conservative amendment right now, CPC-1. I've asked and you've moved it. Could you please stick to Bill C-354?
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
I would say that the CRTC Act is a very broad piece of legislation. Bill C-354 is intending to make changes to a very broad piece of legislation. I believe all these questions have been relevant and within the scope of the conversation we're having about telecommunications, broadcasting and the legislation that governs parts of Canada's cultural communities.
I appreciate that some of my colleagues have concerns over time, but I would emphasize once again that if we just got answers to the questions, we would be moving along. If you're concerned about time, let's get some answers on the table.
I also would like to point out that at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, questions to officials of the department about the money being spent by the department seem very relevant to me, and I think these are worthwhile questions to ask.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Mr. Chair, on a point of order, none of what Mr. Jivani is talking about right now is within the scope of Bill C-354 and the specific clause that we are supposed to be discussing.
All of the points that Mr. Jivani has raised can be entertained during a variety of other meetings, when the minister comes for supplementaries or when we have the chair of the CBC. He is more than able to put forward motions, as many of his colleagues already have.
This is a meeting that is supposed to deal with C-354. Mr. Jivani says, “Well, we could move more quickly if the officials answered questions,” but that's not actually how our process works. The parliamentary process doesn't work that way. We have officials who are here to answer questions in respect of Bill C-354. That is the agenda, Mr. Chair. That is in your hands, and it's up to you to decide whether or not we are going to have a meeting that deals with Bill C-354 or whether we are all going to just ask whatever questions we feel like asking, because I sure have a whole lot of questions I'd like to ask about other matters, like RT, which I don't think are appropriate for this conversation.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Thank you, Mr. Noormohamed.
I will say that Bill C-354 is really broad, and many Canadians have questions. The consultation, along with the accountability, are some areas that, even when I sat and asked questions, I had concerns about. Those were two things that, when I looked at the bill, I had concerns about when I was told I would be chairing this meeting this morning. That's all I'm going to share about the consultation process, along with accountability and the good governance that is needed on this bill. I don't know if we have talked about the good governance needed on this bill, Bill C-354.
There are issues with this. It's a broad bill, coast to coast. It's just not Quebec. This deals with other provinces as well.
Mr. Jivani, I think you've heard the concerns about this.
Please stick to Bill C-354 if you can.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Let's stick with the theme of good governance.
We learned about a very concerning decision at the department of heritage regarding the Canada Media Fund, which supported a documentary called Russians at War, which has been been widely condemned as Russian propaganda.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Are you aware of this film, and were you involved in the decision to fund it?
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Chair, when a member is called to order several times, as has been the case since the beginning of the meeting, I think the chair has a duty is to take away his right to speak.
The member has not mentioned the bill since the beginning of his speaking time. We have reacted enough and you have clearly understood the concerns of all committee members. Talking about films funded by the Canada Media Fund is in no way relevant to Bill C‑354.
Bill C‑354, which you say is very broad, is not actually that broad in scope. It asks the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, to consult Quebec on issues affecting francophone culture, the French language and francophone media. Its scope is not broad, but rather narrow and easy to define.
Right now, debate could be at best qualified as scattershot. Given the number of members around the table rising on points of order since the beginning of Mr. Jivani's speaking time, I think it is time for you to get tough and cut him off.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Thank you very much, Mr. Champoux.
The last shot goes to you, Mr. Jivani.
Please keep it brief.