Evidence of meeting #124 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbc.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
A quick question, then, for Mr. Morrison. Here's a scenario. Let's say a CBC journalist is writing a story on the Senate scandal and the Treasury Board orders that the journalist be moved from full-time to part-time. Is that a possible scenario as a consequence of Bill C-60?
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
I think it's a bit far-fetched, but it doesn't require that scenario to be accurate for all of the concerns I have expressed to be valid.
Conservative
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses who are appearing today.
Mr. Charette, I agree with everything you said. I think option three is fair. I especially think that is important because the people who pay for public service pension plans usually make a lot less money than the people who receive them. They also receive a lot fewer benefits and have a lot less job security. It seems to me that the people paying for things for other people should at least receive the same benefits as the people who receive it. So I congratulate you today for that because I think your motive, like the government's motive, is fairness, and I certainly think that's a good place to start.
Mr. Aylward, I have had the opportunity of hearing your testimony before, and I would say that in relation to bargaining, I, as many lawyers in this country have done, continuously represent our clients by having to go back and forth to the clients to assure that when we're at the bargaining table, the client is consistent with our negotiation, and that is very normal. It happens with all lawyers in Canada, with all lawyers, I believe, in any democracy. When they negotiate with another lawyer, they have to go back to the person who's actually paying the bill—which in this particular case is the taxpayer of Canada—to assure themselves that they are meeting the designation and theme and requirement and ability to pay of the client.
So I would disagree with you because I think it's definitely possible. Every day thousands of lawyers do it and they do it effectively. They do it in the best interests of their clients, as we are going to do in the best interests of Canadian taxpayers.
National Executive Vice-President, Public Service Alliance of Canada
But I did say “for days”.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Now, Mr. Morrison, I have had the opportunity of reading your letter. I noticed that out of the 13 people who signed the letter, eight were journalists, mostly with CBC; four were academics; and one was an American journalist. I'm not sure if they get the CBC in Oregon, but I'm not sure why they would have signed it.
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
He's a very distinguished Canadian journalist who is working in Oregon.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
In Oregon, yes. I went down to Oregon for a while and did a bachelor of science degree there. It's a beautiful city. It's fantastic. I wasn't really sure why he signed it in that particular place, but what I was interested—
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
I'll endeavour to find out if he's actually—
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
What I'm interested in is, in particular, whether or not.... I watch CBC. I watch it every day. I watch it a lot.
Do you watch CTV and Sun Media?
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Okay. I do as well. I watch them all, all three of them. I watch them in Quebec for the most part because that's where I live when I'm in Ottawa, doing the business of the people who I represent from northern Alberta. I watch all three, channels 18, 63, and 79, and I do not discriminate between any of them. I try to watch them all because I want to know what's going on.
I noticed there are no friends of CTV or Sun Media here today, but I'm just wondering—
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
There are no friends of CBC here today either. We are an independent organization.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Mr. Morrison, this is my opportunity to ask questions, and I don't have—
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
[Inaudible—Editor]...inappropriate, Mr. Jean.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Mr. Morrison, I said a particular statement in relation to CTV and Sun. It had nothing to do with your appearance here today.
What I'm asking is this. Do you oppose the same funding for CTV and for Sun Media per capita as CBC receives?
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
They are private television networks. They compete with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, whose English-language network is 60% funded by advertising, but they have nothing to do with public radio, such as, for example, the station that Ms. McLeod referred to a few minutes ago.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I have public radio by CBC up in Fort McMurray, in that area as well, so I understand.
Now would you suggest on a per-watcher basis for TV alone, on public broadcasting for CBC.... Should that be treated equally between CBC, CTV, and Sun? Should they receive the same money per capita?
For instance, I don't listen to CBC radio, but I watch all three of the channels on an equal basis. Should each of them receive equal funding for what I watch because I am a taxpayer?
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
So CBC should be treated distinctly differently, even though they have the same carriage of the same product for the same people.
Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
One of the principal differences, Mr. Jean, is that in prime time they are delivering Canadian programming to Canadians, whereas the other networks you mention are buying Hollywood programming and wrapping Canadian ads around it. That's where their revenues come from.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I guess the difference is that I only watch news pretty much, because that's what I need to keep track of.
