Mr. Speaker, the electronic highway is the major technological challenge of the future. This highway will combine telephone, cable and computer technology so that consumers can have a wide range of interactive services.
Although the advisory committee was able to bring together a strong team with expertise in electronic infrastructure, we must admit that the creative artistic community was tactlessly left out. This is an unacceptable omission.
The government cannot keep outside the decision-making process the very people who produce much of the material that will be carried on the electronic highway, especially since the creative artistic community could have played an essential role with its knowledge of such issues as privacy, copyright and intellectual property.
If the minister and his government are really concerned about protecting culture, they must correct this error and leave a big place for the creative people of this country.