Mr. Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The CBC, one of the few remaining ties helping to keep our country together, is about to snap. The president of the CBC has warned that any further cuts would so drastically reduce the CBC that a change to its legislated mandate would be necessary. The minister, however, earlier today in the House guaranteed that the budget will fit the mandate, not the mandate the budget.
Does the government really want the CBC to continue to exist? If it does, will the government rescind the further $123 million in cuts it has ordered and provide the CBC with multi-year funding as promised in the red book?