Thank you.
What this amendment does is further clarify the idea or the concept of journalistic independence. We've done our best to do that here, with this amendment. We feel that this is important, and we heard from a number of witnesses who also contend that this is really important, because there's a growing distrust from the general public towards the media. Canadians are finding it difficult to know that media sources are not being politically swayed or influenced. Canadians, I believe in the 50% range, are reporting that they're not trusting the media. They feel that it is tainted or that it is not acting independently because of undue influence.
In order to ensure that there is greater credibility with regard to journalism in Canada, especially when there are dollars being infused in this way, journalistic independence would need to be clearly defined.
Before continuing, I would be interested in hearing an opinion from the officials who are here with regard to whether or not there is a current definition of “journalistic independence” as it's used in subclause 3(2) in line 34.