Mr. Speaker, the need to unite Canadians is at the heart pf the CBC's mandate. The president of the CBC, Perrin Beatty, said so himself.
The sole mandate of the CBC is to reflect as faithfully as possible the reality of Canada and Quebec. The CBC acts as a witness who sees, hears and reports on what is happening.
Turning this witness into one that manipulates reality to bring communities closer together is a serious departure from the mandate of the CBC and has reduced this institution to a propaganda tool serving a single ideology, namely Canadian unity.
The Bloc Quebecois objects to such a change in mandate and would like the president and chief executive officer of the CBC to either clarify his remarks or take them back. The CBC is made up of two independent networks, each responding to the needs of its audience. It is unacceptable for their mandate to be subject to the dictates of the ruling party.