Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Now it's Radio-Canada's turn. What is its mandate? You must know that the SNA, the Société nationale de l'Acadie, is preparing to challenge the CBC/Radio-Canada's mandate. The corporation is paid for by Canadian taxpayers. When I use the terms “national” or “federal”, I'm referring to Canada; it's not Quebec or Montreal.
The problem is that Radio-Canada really serves Montreal. I used to say that it was Radio-Québec, but I was corrected by my Quebec friends, who told me that it was not Radio-Québec, but rather Radio-Montréal. There's the same problem in the Gaspé, Lac-Saint-Jean and all those places.
Radio-Canada has programs that are really made for Montreal. The only thing we at least had at 11:00 p.m., New Brunswick or Atlantic time, was RDI. However, we complained so much to Radio-Canada that they finally withdrew RDI and scheduled it for some time during the day. They used to interrupt our programming, but they can't do that anymore, because it's they who decide on the programming.
I'm asking you a direct question: do you believe the government is justified in hiding behind the fact that Radio-Canada is responsible for its own programming? Isn't that shirking its obligations with regard to Radio-Canada?