Official Languages Committee on May 31st, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yeah.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chairman, I think we are getting bogged down here. There will be four meetings on the Court Challenges Program, we will submit the names of witnesses to the clerk, and we will invite those witnesses. Never before have we expressly indicated that we would be inviting Jacques, Richard or any other specific persons. I have never seen that before. Where are we going with it? We are wasting time for no reason. We will have four meetings, or more, if necessary, on the Court Challenges Program. We will submit a list of our witnesses to the clerk, we will invite those witnesses, they will appear before us, and that will be that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Right, let's carry on.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

That is why I wanted to move an amendment.

The other issue was on Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the CBC. There is a link with the Court Challenges Program and the minister. But Radio-Canada is a completely different issue. Since we do not know when the House will adjourn, I would like to move an amendment to withdraw this issue. There is enough work to do over the next few weeks, when we draw to the end of it, we can decide whether or not to continue. Will there be other meetings or not? My motion is intended to withdraw the Radio-Canada issue—

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

So that it can be reinstated in September.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

No, just to withdraw it for now. We can decide on it later.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You are therefore moving an amendment to the motion.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Yes, I'm moving an amendment—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Just a moment. I want to make things clear.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

—to withdraw—

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

It's an amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Fine.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I would like to comment on that amendment. I am against it, and I will tell you why. We are looking at the agenda, as we have always done in the past. We are planning future business. If we cannot see witnesses on the CBC issue in June, what will the repercussion be? They will already have received a notice to appear at a public hearing, so we will see them later, in the fall. Perhaps between now and the fall—if the executives of the CBC listen to me—CBC will have changed its programming in some parts of the country. It is not assuming its responsibilities. The witnesses will therefore receive a new notice of appearance indicating that the CBC will be on the agenda of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. It is to be hoped they will not need to come, because we have other things to do. It is to be hoped that the CBC, which is funded by Canadian taxpayers' money...

I'm not talking about you, Mr. Lemieux. I'm talking about the directors of the CBC.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

We were all aware of it.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chairman, I would like the CBC to get the message that we, just like communities in other parts of the country, refuse to accept certain things any more. As a francophone, as a Canadian and as an Acadian, I am eager to see something on the national news that does not just come from Montreal.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

[Editor's note: inaudible]

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Not so long ago, Mr. Chairman, I was talking about Radio-Québec. I stopped talking about Radio-Québec, because a Quebecker told me that it wasn't Radio-Québec, but Radio-Montréal.

Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the CBC, has the word Canada in its name and all Canadian taxpayers fund it. Every so often, we'd like to see something in the national news about Caraquet, not just images of people burning boats in Shippagan and fish plants. We would like some good news as well, Mr. Chairman.

People are absolutely fed up. The Société nationale de l'Acadie is tired of seeing those reports, the Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick is fed up with seeing those reports, and Mr. Simard, our friend from Saint-Boniface, has said it himself—there is a problem there. By putting this issue on the agenda, Radio-Canada might be kind enough to review its programming.

In my opinion, the corporation made a major error when it pulled the program RDI en direct/L'Atlantique. I've said it before so I won't say it again, it is already in our proceedings.

I would appreciate it if Mr. Lemieux would join us in sending a message to Radio-Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Let's carry on with our list. Mr. Boucher and Mr. Lemieux—

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

You said "Mr. Boucher".

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Forgive me, madam parliamentary secretary.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

If you could just get on—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

So in brief, we were discussing Mr. Lemieux's amendment, which withdraws the SRC issue.

Ms. Boucher, the floor is yours.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I would like—

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chairman, I should not have talked about his amendment, because his amendment has not yet been seconded.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

No.