Mr. Speaker, there is an American conservative philosopher we may have seen on television, George Will. He has often said that free trade ranks somewhere between Christianity and jogging as an item which is much talked about but little practised.
I suggest to the hon. member that if he looks at other nations and at other countries he will find they too seek to protect their cultural industries for the very reason which I urged on him today. Please do not take me as being a protectionist. I am not some sort of Luddite who says we should build up a wall and not let in U.S. television programs. We know technology will make all of that totally and utterly irrelevant. It would be ridiculous to try to do that.
Given that technology is driving more open borders and more access, we should not shut other things out. It is all the more reason to ensure that at least our local industries are operating on a level playing field. That is all we are asking. That is all this measure seeks to do. This measure is not trying to erect some enormous wall. All the other things will still come in. What this measure is seeking to do is to ensure that this frail industry we have in Canada has sufficient financial means that when the bottom line is there it will continue to survive. The bottom line for it is finance, but the bottom line for us as a country is survival. That is why I am in favour of the bill.