Mr. Speaker, I am very interested in the hon. member's comments. Many people appreciate the CBC and the cultural programs that are provided.
The difficulty right now is that we are in a financial crunch in which Canadians are feeling overburdened by the taxes they have to pay. As we line up priorities they are simply not prepared to pay more taxes for items such as those being argued for by the hon. member, particularly when they do not represent their views, their culture and are seen as an added expense.
There is a great impatience by Canadians. When I was a boy on the ranch one of my chores was to milk cows. I did not ask the cow if she wanted to be milked. I just put her in her stall and sat down and milked her. Canadians are feeling as though they are being lined up in the stall like milk cows, being milked for all they are worth.
We have a tax system and an economy that has been ordered by the government. It now makes it necessary for most families to have both partners in the workforce, even though one may like to stay home and look after the home and care for the children in the traditional way. The economy is such, the tax system is such, that it is not advantageous for them to do that. The opportunity is not there for them to do that.
There is a huge reaction to the cost of government. The government must look seriously at the expenses, at what it is spending. This is what Canadians are demanding. This is why there is such a large objection to the cultural programs on CBC. It is seen as one more expenditure that we cannot afford.