Madam Speaker, I too am extremely pleased to join in this debate today. I want to acknowledge my colleague from the Bloc who over the last number of years on a regular basis has tried to remind us of some of the difficulties some people face in Canada.
I still recall the very first time that she took the time to sign in the House. Quite frankly, I was totally amazed that she had any type of disability whatsoever. It was not until that very day that I realized she did. She obviously has worked really hard to overcome her difficulties and she has been instrumental in having a good number of us recognize disabled people in Canada. I have a hard time even recognizing my colleague under the terminology disabled, because she certainly does not seem to have any greater problem in getting her message out than any of the rest of us, her message being to make us aware that there still are issues out there.
As technology has developed over the years there are those of us who have a tendency to think there are no problems for disabled people any more. There are organizations that represent the blind. There are organizations that represent other disabled people, whether they have ambulatory disabilities or otherwise. There are organizations that represent the deaf.
We tend to think that everything is looked after. There is tremendous technology in this day and age. We can send people to the moon. We can transmit from one community to another what a human body looks like so that a doctor can see it and decide what type of treatment should be proceeded with. Medical operations can be performed with robotics and tiny little instruments. Tremendous things are happening in the world of technology, so it is hard for some of us, unless we are affected, to realize that everybody does not have the same opportunities. It is hard for us to understand that not every program has closed captioning. If we do not need closed captioning, we just do not realize the need for it.
I have to admit that until the motion came up I did not realize all the specific things that are available to assist people, but I also did not recognize that they were not available to everyone. I did not realize that it was not something that was already happening, whereby every program would have closed captioning.
This is a very good time for the member's motion to come forward. My colleague from Dartmouth has been our representative on the disabilities committee and also on the heritage committee of the House. She has tried on an ongoing basis to keep us abreast of different things that are happening. She has made it very clear that the heritage committee has been dealing with a lot of issues on the Broadcasting Act. She feels that this is an extremely timely moment for the motion to be coming forward, because the committee is making recommendations for changes within the Broadcasting Act.
It was great to hear today from my colleagues on the government side that the government is open to addressing these concerns. I hope they are not just voicing their concerns and recognition but are going to make an honest to goodness effort to address the issue and ensure that recommendations and some legislation are put in place requiring broadcasters to bring forth closed captioning in all programming.
My colleague from Dartmouth also indicated that one of the thoughts out there for broadcasting companies is that they may not be open to legislation ensuring closed captioning. Right now they sell the service of closed captioning to advertisers so they are able to make some money from it. That is not to say that it is not wonderful to make money. We recognize that things need to be sold and that people want to buy them. There are business opportunities and there are entrepreneurs, but there are entrepreneurs and then there are those who want to make a profit from others' hardship and at their expense.
Quite frankly, it is important that we not only do research, promote technology and make legislation for profit but that we make it because it will be beneficial for society and for individuals.
It is crucial that the government, with the support of all parliamentarians and in recognizing that we represent Canadians who would support this as well, is given the dollars needed to promote technology and research in the area of providing more broad scoped closed captioning and other specific improvements that would benefit those less fortunate. It should not just be done on the basis that someone will not be able to make a dollar.
I have been serving on the industry committee and I have a bit of a hard time because I, quite frankly, think there are some things that people should not make a profit from. It is a matter of doing something because it is the right thing to do.
I wonder where we would have been in our society if Banting and Best had only been doing research to make a profit. Would they have really gone forward? I think they did their research with the intention of improving the lives of people in Canada.
I do not recall his name, but about a month or so ago I read about the fellow who first brought about canola production and the changes to the plant that we now know as canola. He did so without making a single penny. That was an issue of principle on his part. He was improving this crop to benefit people, not to make a buck. He has much higher regard in my books than a company that would go out and make a crop from which we could not grow from its seed. They could restrict who bought it and who could produce it so they could make a profit. I do not see this as beneficial to society. I do not see that as where the government should be going.
I want to reflect again on the issue of investing in research and technology. It is important that the government look at investing in those areas but not solely on the issue that if we invest in those area we will make a profit. The profit we make will not just be in dollars. It will be in the fact that we will be providing people who are less fortunate with the opportunity to broader knowledge education and to become equal partners in all aspects of society.
I want to congratulate my colleague from the Bloc for bringing forward this very good motion. I certainly hope she gets the support of not only the majority of the House but all the House.