Mr. Speaker, I have heard Liberal member after Liberal member and actually Bloc members talk about how we are such victims in Canada, that the U.S. is exploiting us. I suppose that is one world view of the situation, but to me it is a pretty morbid and pessimistic way of looking at things.
What I think is completely in alignment with how creative people think is that Canadians can overcome some of these things. They can overcome the fact that they have strong competition. The reason they can overcome it is that they are the same genetically as the Americans. Canadians can produce the same quality of books and music as anyone else. They have proven this time and time again.
Constantly complaining and whining about our lot in life is not helpful at all to the debate. I am amazed the hon. member was so distressed to see a U.S.A. Today box in front of the Toronto Star . He must be shocked when he walks into a library and sees Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It must be a horrible experience for him. Imagine there not being enough John Brydens and David Suzukis. All kidding aside, I know the
member would not be shocked by that and really would not oppose that.
The point is not in the absurdity of the exaggeration. The point is in the premise, which is where there is real absurdity. Canadians are more than capable of making good choices. Every day we make thousands of decisions about all kinds of things, including very important things such as raising our children, et cetera. We are perfectly capable of deciding among the plethora of magazines and books available which ones we want to read and which television shows we want to view.
If the hon. member's argument is sound, does he recommend we take it to its full extent? Would we put up complete barriers thereby protecting all Canadian magazines, books, et cetera, and not allowing others in at all? That is the logical end of his argument.