I'm going to start.
Thank you, Dr. Fry, and I'd like to thank the committee very much for having us once again. It's a great honour, and we're very pleased to be here. My name is Bill Skolnik. I am the co-chair of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
We are an alliance of 47 associations representing more than 200,000 performers, creators, technicians and professionals, and 2,000 organizations in music, screen production, book and music publishing, live performance and the visual arts. For more than 20 years, our members have been working together to protect and promote Canada's diverse cultural expressions. My colleague Nathalie Guay and I have been delegates at several UNESCO assemblies held to support the objectives of the 2005 UNESCO convention on the diversity of cultural expressions.
Canada, as I'm sure you are aware, was the first country to ratify this convention and is considered a leader in ensuring that the principles of the convention are upheld. This crucial protection and promotion requires the exercise of cultural sovereignty, and that is the essence of Bill C-11. The Broadcasting Act is cultural policy. It is our belief that this tradition and legacy must continue to thrive. Moreover, the review of the Broadcasting Act is an essential part of the tool kit needed to redefine and rebalance our ecosystems.
This committee has had the chance to learn at length about the impact COVID has had on our sector. The CDCE applauded the tabling of Bill C-11 on February 2. We can only hope that this attempt to revise our legislation will conclude shortly so the benefits can reach Canadian creators, artists, producers and organizations as soon as possible. They have been waiting for a very long time.
Finally, allow me to recall that, according to a recent Nanos poll, the legislation has broad support from the public.
I will now turn the floor over to Nathalie who will present the changes that we ask you to consider. These proposals emerged from intense and detailed discussion, and represent a broad and unified consensus crafted by our multi-faceted membership and beyond.
Thank you.