Mr. Speaker, for the most part journalists are professionals, but to suggest they have no personal opinions would be to say they are not people. Norman Lester is no more, no less.
When media workers start writing a story their experience is brought to bear so we are presented with the facts in an understandable, balanced and unbiased fashion. We want our professional journalists to know what is happening in the world. It makes for better stories and more accurate information. To say they should somehow abandon their rights to free expression because they work for a broadcaster would be wrong.
There is no indication that Norman Lester has ever been a biased journalist. I sincerely hope that the administrative review currently underway at Radio-Canada will look at Mr. Lester's professional work, not attempt to deal with what are appropriate opinions for journalists to hold on their own time.
I call on the government to introduce mandatory complaint mechanisms for all media so Canadians can complain about rampant biased journalism which currently exists. I also call on Radio-Canada to leave Mr. Lester's rights when he is off the job alone.