Mr. Chairman, I'll be sharing my time with Mr. Nicholson.
I'd like to start by commending Mr. Deltell and senators Carignan and Pratte for their work in protecting independent and impartial journalism in Canada.
I agree with what you said in the House, Mr. Deltell, that the passage of the bill is a good day for democracy and freedom of the press, but I want to focus on freedom of the press for a moment before we get into the nitty-gritty of the bill. As a former journalist yourself, can you comment on how the $350-million slush fund that the government is proposing would impact the freedom of the press?