Mr. Speaker, I would like to go back to what was said by the hon. members opposite Tuesday evening when it was stated, and indeed letters quoted, that this bill, although amended in the other place, still does not reflect what those in the province of Quebec, as evidenced by testimony given to the committee in the other place, really want.
I am pleased to see so many members of the official opposition here today on a Friday afternoon. I wonder if they would care to hear what was said by Quebec interest groups after the bill was amended in the Senate. Mr. Michel Arpin, spokesman for the regroupement des exploitants de canaux specialises de langue français, would like to express his gratitude to the committee on transport and communications for approving the amendment of Bill C-216.
He continued by saying: "The amendment keeps the objective of consumer protection, which was the initial driving force behind the bill. It also provides for a response to their vital concerns on the use of French, namely on the availability and cost of specialty French language programming services. The amendment to this bill is a compromise that will facilitate the provision of services to francophones".
The Association of Francophones and Acadians of Canada has said that it totally agrees with and supports the bill as amended by the Senate.
The list goes on. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters supports the bill as amended. The Speciality and Premium Television Association's Quebec members support the bill as amended by the Senate.
All Canadians must therefore ask why Bloc members opposite do not stand up for the consumers of Quebec. Why do Bloc members continue to support the backroom boys, the lobbyists, the big money interests? Are they not interested in the senior citizens of that province, families struggling to get by and the working poor? Perhaps they would like to tell us why they know more than all the interest groups from inside Quebec who are supporting this bill as amended by Quebec.
It is obvious that a deal has been struck. Why do they refuse to tell Quebecers what deal it is and with whom it has been made?