Mr. Speaker, by refusing to overturn a seriously flawed CRTC decision ignoring its own guidelines in the granting of a broadcasting license to Craig Broadcast Systems Inc. the cabinet has shown a complete disregard for the local programming and Canadian content requirements of the Broadcasting Act.
As a result of this fundamentally flawed decision already underserviced communities like Windsor, dominated by American programming, could see and probably will see a substantial decline in local programming. The decision completely ignores the needs of communities in southern Ontario like Hamilton and Kitchener--Waterloo. If not reversed it will result in the falling by the wayside of local programming and services over the next decade.
The Liberal government has once again shown a complete lack of commitment to promoting local content and diversity in broadcasting in the country.