Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present a petition signed by 6,000 Newfoundlanders from every part of our province. The petitioners are very discouraged and upset that the CBC is cutting the national supper hour news program Here and Now from one hour to half an hour. An Atlantic Canadian poll released today reveals that 70% of Canadians are telling government to reverse that decision and 79% of Newfoundlanders are saying the same thing.
These 6,000 people are petitioning parliament to intervene to protect a program that is essential to the culture of our very large and sparsely populated province.
There are over 30,000 names on various petitions and these petitioners want all of their Newfoundland Liberal MPs to present those petitions as well, which they have not been doing. I am asking Newfoundland Liberal MPs to have some courage, to stand for their province, to stand for their people and to stand for jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador.