Evidence of meeting #22 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 crtc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Saskatoon—Grasswood, CPC
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Not at all, and that would not be a good description of how I view my role, certainly, in the coming months.
No, it's the institution. I regret the focus on the chair, to be honest. It's the institution. We have almost 650 excellent staff. They do the analytical work. They identify those questions. They help us produce the record upon which members make decisions, and they will continue. I have eight other colleagues. They are all in their own way contributing significantly, but most importantly, frankly, staff, who are the experts, will continue to do their work no matter who chairs the commission.
Saskatoon—Grasswood, CPC
Would you like to see an administrative change in the CRTC since you seem to be the one who gets the credit or the bouquets? How would we change that? Or would you?
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I think that's just a lack of understanding of how the commission works.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Nine members make decisions on the advice of expert staff, exclusively on the record of the proceedings.
Saskatoon—Grasswood, CPC
That's good.
Thank you. All the best to you. We will probably see you for Bill C-11 too.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I certainly hope so—
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
—because I think that perhaps we only scratched the surface of some of the committee's concerns, and we'd be happy to return and speak to it at length.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you very much, Mr. Waugh.
Thank you, Mr. Scott.
The Liberals have ceded their place, so I want to thank the CRTC and all of the executives who came to present to us today.
You had a bit of tough time, but thank you very much for the information and the goodwill that happened today.
The meeting will suspend before we move to the committee business meeting.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Now we are into a business meeting. We have unfinished business. We have to decide, as a committee, how many meetings we will dedicate to public hearings with witnesses.
We also have to set a deadline for witnesses, which I think we had been discussing as being this Thursday. If you've already sent your witnesses, then it would be up to the clerk to tell me if she is missing a list or still needing to get a list of witnesses, which I will ask her in a minute.
Clerk, go ahead. Do we need to get a list of witnesses from anyone? Have you received all of your witnesses?
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Aimée Belmore
No, I'm sorry, Madam Chair. I haven't received all of them.
I see Mr. Julian has his hand up.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Our party has already submitted its list of witnesses.
As far as witnesses are concerned, I think we had an initial conversation on Monday. It seems to me that 20 hours of witnesses is a good start. I don't think anyone would object to that. My suggestion is that we have four meetings of five hours each. I would suggest we use the break week, because of course with translation it is a lot easier during a break week to find that space. That's what I wanted to put back on the table. Generally, 20 hours of witnesses seemed to be a compromise folks were okay with, so I think that would get us started certainly in terms of witnesses and in terms of Bill C-11.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Mr. Julian, I will ask the clerk to comment on this, but I don't know that we can get 20 hours of meetings in the constituency week—next week. It all depends on the availability of resources. Maybe the clerk can tell us what we may be able to accomplish next week.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
I'm sorry, but on a point of order, Madam Chair, I was suggesting Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with five hours on each of those two days, and then the following Monday and Wednesday.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
That would be 10 hours next week and 10 hours the following week.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
If I may be so bold as to translate, 20 hours is the equivalent of 10 normal meetings. Is that what you're saying, Mr. Julian?
Liberal
The Clerk
I have it under authority that the services are available to provide meeting time between the hours of 11 and 4:30 on Tuesday, May 24, and Wednesday, May 25. Again, that would be two meetings from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you, Clerk.
Are those the only two days available? Have we explored other days in case members can't make either of those two days?