My questions relate to the budget's measures on journalism. The government claims that it can protect independent media by making media dependent with a half-a-billion dollar package.
Mr. Furey, you mentioned the existence of this so-called independent panel that will determine the criteria of eligibility for the various measures in the budget. There are actually two bodies that are going to decide who gets what. There is this “independent” panel, selected by the government, but then there's also a body—the term “body” is used in the legislation—that will not decide the criteria, but actually pick the individual news agencies that qualify under the criteria.
No officials were able to tell us who will be part of this body, whether it's an existing agency of the Government of Canada or whether it's a new one, whether it will be public servants or Governor in Council appointments. We have no idea who this body is, even though the tax credit and the tax benefits that it will dole out are already in effect as of the beginning of this year. Does it worry you at all as an independent journalist that a so-called body within the government will decide which news outlets qualify for taxpayer funds?