Thank you for your question.
In fact, our request is relatively simple: you should have the aspects that concern division 17, which amends the Financial Administration Act, withdrawn from Bill C-60, which you are currently studying. We believe that at the very least the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation should not be affected by this change. I don't think it's appropriate, in the name of journalistic independence, a principle that you know, to allow this type of specific and very detailed intrusion by the executive, in other words by any government, in the running of the CBC. We feel that enough controls have been in place for a long time. Every year, Parliament receives the CBC's updated five-year plan and their annual report. Parliament can question the president and CEO and the chair of the board of directors. Furthermore, it is also Parliament, and especially the government, that appoints the president and CEO of the CBC and the chair of its board of directors.
The CBC is also subject to conditions set out by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, which issues licences. Moreover, we just had a very long conversation with the CRTC about the renewal of the CBC's licences last November. Its decision should be made very soon.
I therefore think there is a whole monitoring environment that allows Parliament to know in enough detail what is happening in terms of the CBC's major objectives. It is not necessary to go into detail, which is what we have the impression the government currently wants to do.