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.
Conservative
Emeritus Professor, Information and Communications Department, Université Laval, As an Individual
I don't get Sun Media on my cable TV in Quebec City, but I do get CTV. Although, certainly, I mostly watch French-language networks, I often tune in to the others.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
If I could, I don't have a lot of time, sir.
I'm in Quebec also. I have a home in Quebec. I get Sun Media. It's channel 79, and you might want to check it out.
Do you think that Sun Media and CTV operate independently from the Government of Canada? If you had a chance to watch them recently, you might think so.
Emeritus Professor, Information and Communications Department, Université Laval, As an Individual
The CRTC safeguards their independence because it is independent from the government. Without the CRTC, those networks wouldn't be independent.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Exactly, sir. That's my point. We have a situation where the independence of broadcasters can be guaranteed by regulation. It doesn't have to be guaranteed by funding.
I do have this question for you, sir.
The royal charter in the United Kingdom that enables the BBC principally funds the BBC by an annual licence fee, which is charged to all British households. I think last year, for households, corporations, and organizations, it was about 134 pounds. It's set annually by the British government, and in fact, it's voted on by Parliament every year to approve or not approve that funding licensing mechanism.
Is that what you're suggesting we should do, that we send a bill out to every household in Canada for $160 to $180?
Emeritus Professor, Information and Communications Department, Université Laval, As an Individual
The licence fee regime is certainly a good one. It's in place in a number of European countries but would be impossible to implement here today. People aren't accustomed to that and would be extremely resistant to any attempt to adopt a system like the one in Great Britain. I don't think it's possible.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I pay a licensing fee now; it's called cable. I pay cable now in Quebec, and I pay about $120 a month. For that, I get CTV and Sun and CBC.
Isn't it possible to amend our licensing fee system for CBC and allow people to have the independence to decide what channels they want to pay for and what channels they don't want to pay for? Don't you think that's a fair way to do it, sir? Right now, we don't pay CTV anything. The taxpayers don't pay them anything, and I watch them, quite frankly, more than CBC. I don't watch Sun Media more, but I do watch them, and they obviously act independently now.
Don't you think that's possible, sir?
Emeritus Professor, Information and Communications Department, Université Laval, As an Individual
You're comparing public television with commercial television. We have three types of radio and television networks in Canada: public, commercial and community. They aren't structured or funded in the same way at all. You're comparing apples and oranges.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Yes I am, because I think a user should pay for what they want to watch. I don't think that I should have to pay for other people to watch something I don't want to.
I want to go on to Mr. Leclerc if I may please, sir. How long have you been with the Canadian Urban Transit Association?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
I've personally been with CUTA for three years.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Are you familiar with the file generally, the urban transit file?
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Do you work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as well?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
We work closely together, yes.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Very closely. In fact, isn't it fair to say that most of the time in your dealings and with government that you work together collaboratively to try to put forward and lobby for your position on most things?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
Yes, we do collaborate on a regular basis.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Are you familiar with what took place in Toronto, that ridership went up as a result of this government's implementation of a tax credit? Are you familiar with that?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
We know that the ridership is going up in Toronto for sure.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I know that I've talked to members of your association before and they believe it's a direct correlation to the tax credit implemented by this government some years ago. Would you agree with that?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
The tax credit is one of the measures that is favouring and rewarding good behaviour and taking public transit.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
It's a good system, isn't it? It's working well.
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
It is working for those who are using public transit, sure.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Wouldn't you agree that this government has taken great steps in relation to making the gas tax fund permanent, doubling and indexing it? Do you find that to be great news for your organization?
Vice-President, Strategic Development, Canadian Urban Transit Association
It is an important one for sure.
