Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Quebecois I congratulate Robert Rabinovitch on his appointment as the president of the CBC.
M. Rabinovitch certainly has the qualities and the abilities needed to carry out his new duties honourably. He will, however, face a major challenge, that of ensuring the independence of the CBC, on which the public places its trust, justifying the allocation of public funds.
The corporation's independence is threatened by the desire of Canadian Heritage to use the CBC to serve the political ends of its government.
Recognized for his determination to have a free hand in performing his duties, Mr. Rabinovitch, we hope, will feel freed of the old Trudeau demons, who wanted the CBC to be an instrument of Canadian unity.