Official Languages Committee on May 27th, 2008

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Thank you for your comments, Mr. Coderre.

First of all, I'm the boss. It falls on my desk, it stops at my desk, and I accept full responsibility for it. That moreover is what Richard Stursberg did in working with the independent producers. He took responsibility for the gala. You're right: it comes back to me. Accountability is no problem for me and it's part of my work. That's obvious.

The rating is 298,000 persons, but I don't have that information broken down by province.

You say we must make a commitment to respect linguistic duality. Mr. Coderre, I told you this morning that there had to be greater awareness. I didn't tell you that we weren't sensitive to this kind of thing. An event like a gala increases sensitivity. I can assure you that we will broadcast this kind of event better in future. I moreover said that in my opening address.

I know the content of the act. Under that act, programming should “strive to be of equivalent quality in English and in French” and “be in English and in French, reflecting the different needs and circumstances” of Canadians across the country.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

You know that CBC/Radio-Canada has enemies. When it comes to funding and justifying amounts, help us help you. That's what I wanted to tell you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Coderre.

I would also like to ask you a question, Mr. Lacroix. I'd like to go back to the brief that was presented by the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame. That group wants to promote Canadian artists, whether they are English- or French- speaking, across the country. It went and knocked on your door in order to associate with you. We saw that this morning: CBC/Radio-Canada has a mandate to promote linguistic duality. Normally that should be a perfect marriage.

However, this morning we hear that we're coming to a divorce instead, to the point where the officials of the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame say they may look for another broadcaster. This event was broadcast on the English network, but how is it that it wasn't broadcast in its entirety, in both official languages and on both networks? That's precisely your mandate. If I put myself in the shoes of a francophone viewer who sees the list of artists present, there were Patrick Bruel, Claude Dubois, of course, but there were Florence K. and Isabelle Boulay as well. I think you could easily get several hundreds of thousands of viewers in Quebec alone.

How is it that we've come to this point here this morning? There was a trigger factor. I was listening to you this morning. You said that ultimately you were going to wait and see if the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame came to you. Why isn't the CBC more proactive? The Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame has a gala that is a perfect fit with your mandate, which is to make anglophone artists known to the francophone audience and vice versa. However, you say instead that you are going to wait. It may go and see others; it may turn to the private sector.

I believe the two linguistic communities may lose a very good product. I would like to hear your comments on that.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Mr. Chairman, I've had these conservations with the people our on team since the coverage of this impact. There is one point that I've talked about, I don't remember with which member: we increasingly realize that television may not be the best possible medium for an event that lasts three and a quarter hours. In their brief, the Hall of Fame told you—and this is still the case this year—that we asked Hall of Fame representatives whether we could change the format, whether we could consider another way of broadcasting three hours and 15 minutes. They talked about two hours; we talked about different things. It's really important for us that, if we want to carry out our mandate, there be people who watch this gala. However, we have evidence that these galas, especially those of three hours and 15 minutes, do not enable us to promote our artists. There are all kinds of other platforms for doing that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

One thing is certain: I know there are galas, such as the ADISQ gala, which lasts a good long time and has good ratings. I'm sure that gala format can be very popular. Thank you, Mr. Lacroix.

Mr. Petit or Mr. Lebel would like to speak in order to wrap up.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Lacroix, you've been around for five months, and I was here a few months before you. You know you have 55 months left in your mandate. I'm sure the people opposite will organize things so that mine is shorter, but I expect to be here to ask you questions in a number of months.

Having said that, I am pleased with what I've heard this morning, Mr. Lacroix. The sensitivity you show to the country's two official languages means, I think, that you are aware of their importance and that you are going to support us in your mandate.

After the gala, were there any discussions between your organization and the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame? I know the ball is back in its court and that it's making some choices. Have you given it any advice or recommendations for the gala's future?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I understood from the conversations with our vice-president of the English service that there have been format suggestions, but that the discussions are not very advanced and that it was up to gala organizers to consider how they wanted to approach the broadcaster they chose or the projects they want to present to the various broadcasters for their gala next year.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Petit.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

With your permission, I have a question to ask and a comment to make.

I don't want to see you all here before the Standing Committee on Official Languages every year answering questions from the representatives of the government or opposition. The message we're trying to send you is simple. Do you know what it took in the Province of Quebec for it to decide to redo all the roads? An overpass had to collapse. That caused such a shock wave that they're repairing all roads in Quebec. I've never seen so many work sites since that event occurred.

What we're telling you is that the Hall of Fame program caused a shock wave in our corner of the world. Perhaps at some point Radio-Canada and the CBC should sit down together and clarify something in order to prevent problems of this kind from reoccurring. I don't want to see you back here every month; I'm sure you have other things to do. You have 55 months to carry out your mandate.

You must try to find a solution, but not just in terms of sensitivity. You're a lawyer. Perhaps I'd like it to be not merely a question of sensitivity in your future regulations, but a reality. That's what's important. Otherwise the same problem will reappear.

Earlier you heard the comments of Mr. Gravel and Mr. Nadeau. They told you that situations like that made them become what they are. If we are to save the country, you can at least help us. That's the comment I wanted to pass on to you. It's not just for the fun of it that we've asked you to appear: it's because there has been a shock wave.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Mr. Petit, I'm convinced you have something else to do than to see me, but it was a pleasure for me to meet you this morning.

As for the act and our obligations, the Broadcasting Act is very clear on the balance, the importance of English and French in our programming. Given my background as a lawyer, I can assure you that I understand that issue very well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Lacroix. We were pleased to have you as well. I believe that Mr. Rodriguez would like to make a brief closing remark.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Something made me smile. I know that you attach considerable importance to the two official languages. You've shown that, Mr. Lacroix. The fact remains that the French version of your document—and I'm sure you noted this in reading it—states: “[...] dans le cadre de ce seul événement de nous faire dévier de notre mandate. Ce mandate est très large.” It's simply that we often see this kind of error.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I admit that it happened this morning when I was making certain changes to the document. The version I'm working on is bilingual because I want my opening remarks to reflect the two official languages. You're right. If there are typographical errors in the document, I accept full responsibility for them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you for that clarification, Mr. Rodriguez.

We'll now close this morning's meeting. Mr. Lacroix, on behalf of committee members, I thank you for debating our concerns in a spirit of dialogue. We wish you well for the rest of your term.

Thank committee members. We'll see each other again next Thursday for the study of the Canadian Coast Guard. I would simply like to mention to you that, next Monday, we'll have the version of the report on our study of the Canada-Community Agreements.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Chairman, people from Fisheries and Oceans and National Defence would like to be present, but, for the moment, we should only talk to those from the Coast Guard. I don't want there to be 25 witnesses on Thursday. Pardon the pun: I don't want to drag in any red herrings.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

The Canadian Coast Guard people will be present, and the role of the other witnesses will be to round out the information if there are questions related to Coast Guard rescue activities.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.