House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cuts.

Topics

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his speech and his comments. With the inaction of the Conservative government, we are seeing massive cuts of 800 jobs and the necessity of selling assets. I am afraid not only because of these job losses, but also with regard to the ability of our public broadcaster to play its role in the future.

Does my colleague share this fear that these cuts and these program and service cutbacks will affect the long-term future of the CBC/Radio-Canada?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:55 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Madam Speaker, the real issue facing us is that we are in an unprecedented crisis in broadcasting in regional and local voices right across the country. The minister stood back and refused to come forward and say that we should have a plan and we should find bridge financing. The government left CBC dangling until the last minute and then pulled the rug out from under it. The government blamed the CBC and said that it should live within its means.

There are going to be cuts that are so deep there will be no turning back from them, especially in terms of the regions. There have been no stations closed, but stations have been bled so much that they are anemic and can no longer do their job. Strong, smart, young journalists are being given pink slips. They will not be coming back. Because of the government's indifference, we are going to see the loss of the broadcasting voice of this country to the point of no return.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Madam Speaker, I have listened to this morning’s speeches about the CBC. They are interesting. The CBC has announced that 800 positions will be abolished shortly. Hubert Lacroix has said that the shortfall would be about $171 million in 2009-10. The Bloc Québécois is proposing that the grant to the CBC be increased from $34 to $40 per capita.

There has been a $45 million cut to culture in Quebec. That was an issue in the election campaign. The CBC also broadcasts in French in all the francophone communities of Canada.

I would like the hon. member to tell me why the Conservatives are attacking Quebec culture in this way while at the same time investing so much in military procurement and all sorts of things. We are talking here about $170 million. The Conservatives seem to have it in for anything to do with Quebec culture.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

Noon

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Madam Speaker, my colleague is absolutely correct. We had talked about a long-term plan of $40 per capita as a way to deal with the future needs of the CBC. The immediate problem is the need for bridge financing. It would have been a perfectly reasonable solution to get the CBC through this. Instead, the loss of 270 jobs at Radio-Canada in Montreal, for example, will be felt in our francophone communities right across Canada. The disappearance of voice, of stories, of conversation makes it more difficult to maintain a cultural cohesiveness across such a vast territory if we do not have those in place.

Regardless of the Conservatives' gibberish about how the private sector will do it, nobody has filled these gaps. The ability of the francophone regions to speak to one another can only happen in the context of a public broadcaster. I believe this is the direct result of a government hiding behind an economic crisis to carry out an ideological vendetta.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

Noon

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for mentioning the situation we are facing with CHCH-TV. We are facing similar situations with our local newspapers and radio stations.

This may seem a little out there, but a lot of us have been working for years on a CBC radio station for Hamilton so we can be part of that national dialogue. Now, with the current situation, how long until that dream and goal for Hamilton is set aside under the policy direction of the current government?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

Noon

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Madam Speaker, the million-plus people in the Hamilton region, who have been left out of the national discourse because they do not have a CBC radio station, have at least been able to point to their regional television network. Now that is in question.

Again, this is the problem with the crisis we face at both the private and public broadcast level. The refusal of the government to understand that they are intertwined and that there needs to be a solution to ensure local voices is leaving large sections of our country, urban, rural, isolated francophone and anglophone areas, out of a national conversation. It is simply unacceptable in a country like Canada in the 21st century.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

Noon

Liberal

Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Nipissing—Timiskaming.

At the outset, I am pleased to speak to the motion and I will support it.

This is a very important issue for all Canadians from coast to coast, particularly for Canadians who live in the regions, Canadians with linguistic minority communities, Canadians from remote communities and Canadian who live everywhere.

I am very pleased we are having this dialogue today. The issue of CBC and how it serves our country is tremendously important to all Canadians. I do not think we can look at the CBC and talk about the individual budget. I believe we have to look at it as to the role it plays in Canada.

Canada is an exceptionally large country, the second largest on earth. It is the most diverse country in the world. We have three founding nations. It is much stronger and much larger than its remarkably diverse and unique parts.

On the other side of the equation, we need the glue to keep us together. There is a social contract, for want of a better word, a shared destiny. As a country, we have to be cognizant of our history, our past and we have to go forward with a clear understanding that we build on that. We are different than other countries that surround us.

It is my premise in this debate today, and I am very pleased we are having this dialogue, that our national broadcasting corporation, the CBC, is one part, but not totally, of the glue that keeps the fabric of Canada together.

CBC is a national institution with a very important mandate. It provides an objective perception of current affairs in Canada. It serves the smaller regional communities, which the private broadcasting companies could not, would not and probably would not be expected to serve. It serves the linguistic minorities from all parts of the country and is responsible for the preservation of our culture, which makes us Canadians.

Many people are trying to a create a looser federation, a federation of self-autonomist units, each driven by the ideology of the government in power. However, my vision of Canada is larger than that. We need a strong federal government and a national broadcasting corporation.

That brings us to today's debate. I will not argue that there has to be a large dose of reality in this debate. I will not argue today for large increases to the budget of the CBC. It has to live within its means. We have economic realities in the country. I do not suggest for a moment that there should be a 10%, 20% or 30% increase in the CBC's budget. Its advertising revenues dropped dramatically. It knew it was faced with belt tightening, but it wanted to have a dialogue with the government of the day. Its proposal was that it be given $125 million bridge loan so it could make the cuts and the changes easier, more equitable and phase them in.

However, that was not the case. The CBC was met with total silence. As a result, we see the loss of 800 jobs, 393 jobs at CBC and an additional 336 at Radio-Canada. It is probably the case that this thing could not totally be avoided, but a lot of it could have been if the government had listened to public opinion on this issue.

I do not believe it is an unreasonable request. We all see what has happened to the economy over the last six to eight months. There was a dramatic decrease in its advertising revenues. It is my premise that the government should have entered this dialogue with CBC and probably should have granted the interim financing, the loan, to get it through this very difficult situation.

What has happened here is the continuation of the toxic relationship that has existed between the CBC and the Reform-Alliance wing of the Conservative Party, going right back to their constating meetings in 1994. A lot of those people who were part of that movement and part of those attacks on the CBC sit in cabinet, across the aisle.

I have a few quotes.

The first quote is, “There are subsidies to bloated crown corporations like the $1 billion annual subsidy to the CBC”. That is from the Minister of Immigration.

The second quote is, “The Liberals decided to throw millions and even billions in non priority areas, while ignoring vital ones....For example, the CBC will receive $60 million”. That is from the present Minister of International Trade.

The third quote is, “Do we need the CBC, in its current format, when there are so many private broadcasting channels available?” That is from the present Minister of Industry.

The fourth quote is:

I've suggested that government subsidies in support of CBC's services should be to those things that...do not have commercial alternatives...I think when you look at things like main English-language television and probably to a lesser degree Radio Two, you could look there at putting those on a commercial basis.

That is from the present Prime Minister.

I do not attribute any of these quotes, this ideology, this thinking to the Progressive Conservative wing of that party. That was not the case during the times when it was in power.

I see this as a continuation of the toxic relationship. I am sure if we spoke to many of the Reform-Alliance members, we would probably be dealing with a lot of happy campers here today. It started in the founding meeting and has continued every day.

As a member of Parliament, as a Canadian, I am disappointed with this attitude. It continues this attitude, this ideology that the federal government has no role in broadcasting or in culture, that it should withdraw its mandate to the narrowly defined issues of defence and foreign affairs and become a federation of 13 semi-autonomous units, having no shared destiny, no common purpose, no social contract.

As I said before, I am very pleased that we are having this dialogue. It is important for the fabric of Canada and what it means to be Canadian. I hope the public is watching.

It is my hope the House will support the motion as presented. It is also my hope the government will respect the will of Canadians, if the motion does pass. It is my hope a dialogue can then start between the government and CBC so we can sort of ease out some of these temporary problems. It is my hope this impasse can be overcome.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate much of what my friend had to say and I share his ideology when it comes to the question of Canada being more than just a collection of provinces. When it comes to the question of Canada standing together and finding ways to cement our unity, I do share his ideology but I recognize it as an ideology.

Too often we hear across the floor accusations of ideological approaches without realizing that they are mutual. What we really ought to do is set aside our ideological bent and look at the practical issues of benefits and costs. In that respect, actions speak louder than words.

I wonder if my friend will agree that whatever has been said or done ideologically on either side, the CBC went through a serious set of cuts in the 1990s under the Liberal Party, and that the Conservative Party, under our current leader, has done a good job in maintaining funding for CBC, in spite of what are now becoming very hard economic times.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Mr. Speaker, I yes, there were cuts made to the CBC back in 1994-1995. However, I want to remind the member that when the Liberals came to power in 1993 the annual deficit was $43 billion, interest rates were around 10%, unemployment was at 11% and debt to GDP ratio was 73%. Over a 10 year period that was resolved. A lot of tough decisions were made, not only by the government, but by all Canadians.

However, guess what? We are right back to where we were then. Unfortunately, I think the debt will be $43 billion this year. Unemployment is going up. It is like we are in a time warp here.

On this lowering of taxes for the rich, this method of governing did not work in 1993 and I can tell this House and Canadians that it will not work in 2009.

At the time, there were cuts to all Canadians. The Reformers who were in the House at the time were screaming across the aisle for us not to cut the CBC but to eliminate the CBC.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:15 p.m.

Bloc

Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party will be paid back in spades in the next election for the massacre they are committing at CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers will make them pay dearly.

I was looking at some statistics and have a question for the Liberal member. The British pay about $124 per capita for their television and radio networks. The French pay $77. We in the Bloc Québécois want to see $40 per capita in support for CBC/Radio-Canada, which is hardly the end of the world.

If the Liberal Party should take power, what would its position be? It had this proposal today in its motion on opposition day. But what is its position? Are you going to reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada? How much will you reinvest, or are you going to cut CBC/Radio-Canada as you did back in the 1990s? You just bashed it too.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I would ask the hon. member to address his remarks to the chair and not directly to other members.

The hon. member for Charlottetown has the floor.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Mr. Speaker, the member talked about the formula used in Great Britain with the BBC and in France. Other countries use different formulas. One of the points the member did make was that they all have one commonality, which is that they all have national broadcasting corporations.

When I started my speech I indicated that I was not here advocating in these tough economic times some large increase to the funding of CBC. All the motion talks about is the dialogue to assist the CBC to get through a very temporary period. The request was for a $125 million bridge loan. That dialogue did not take place and I was very disappointed. However, I am supporting the motion that the bridge financing ought to have been granted.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the essential role that CBC/Radio-Canada plays through its national, regional and local broadcasts, including information and news for linguistic minorities all across Canada.

I know that the Conservative government does not believe in CBC/Radio-Canada and that nothing would please it more than to see the end of public broadcasting in Canada. That is an ideological view that ignores the situation in our northern communities in Canada.

Francophone culture in northern Ontario is very reliant on CBC/Radio-Canada to communicate its messages and transmit its news. Northern Ontario is a vast, diverse place where minority groups would not be served at all if not for the corporation.

In northern Canada, as in northern Ontario, there are simply no private networks. CBC/Radio-Canada ensures that the people of the north do not feel completely isolated and feel that they are part of a united country. The people living in the north all know they face major difficulties and obstacles.

The ministers in the Conservative cabinet, however, do not think so. The industry minister claims to be from the north but in an interview with the National Post, he wondered whether we need CBC/Radio-Canada in its current form when there are so many private networks. Those are the words of someone who fails to understand the reality of people living in northern Canada and northern Ontario.

When the Minister of Industry states that there are so many private broadcasting channels available, I have to wonder in what world he lives. It is certainly not in northern Ontario.

Not understanding the living conditions of northern Canada is but one of the shortcomings of the Conservative government. Ideologically, it feels that it can sell everything, all of our national assets, to the highest bidder and everything will take care of itself. It is just a laissez-faire attitude that lets everything rule itself.

That, unfortunately, is not the reality for the people of northern Canada and it is not the reality that they live from day to day. More and more, the people of Canada and the people of the world are realizing that this is a fantasy land that exists only in neo-conservative minds.

The people of northern Ontario, for example, rely on CBC Radio to get their local and regional news. We have seen a slow decline in service over the years but the cuts that are being witnessed currently stand to have an irreversible effect on the CBC as we know it.

I could stand here today and tell members how important I feel CBC is to northern Ontario but I believe that it would be more effective if I read passages from but a few of the letters and messages that I received.

Here is what Garth Goodhew had to say from North Bay:

CBC Radio is a great Canadian institution that joins a vast area and allows us to be one Canadian nation. Cutting services to Northern Ontario will have a devastating effect. I am furious just at the thought of losing CBC in my area.

Mary from Temiskaming Shores wrote:

I am one of the many who are horrified because of the cuts to CBC Radio One in the north particularly Sudbury. Please endeavour to ensure that we do not lose this important aspect of northern life. Densely populated areas have more choices and we need this service in northern regions.

Just before coming here, Rita McDirmid called from Latchford wondering what was going on with CBC. She stated how important it was and how the people of Latchford rely on CBC Radio to get their information.

Charla from Thunder Bay wrote:

CBC has been an integral part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Dryden, Ontario, my family listened to CBC Radio each morning during breakfast and watched The National news each night - I have continued this practice throughout my adult life. The combination of local, regional and national news and the stories delivered by CBC Radio and CBC Television provides a better understanding of the Canadian mosaic past, present and future. Local radio programming provides a local perspective on issues and events that would otherwise be unavailable in small towns such as Dryden, Fort Frances, Kenora and Atikokan. It is vital that this local programming continue to provide a sense of community and to highlight the “goods news stories”, especially during the financial struggles we now face.

Richard Sciuk from Redbridge states:

It's painfully obvious to anyone who takes the time to understand the realities of Northern Ontario; CBC provides a public forum that bridges the distance. We need to stay connected.

Shelly wrote:

As a constituent, I would ask you and/or your government, lobby the powers that be not to cut CBC service in the North. It seems that whenever there are cuts to be made us Northerners always suffer. I don't think that we should take this lying down.

That is but a small sample of what we in northern Ontario are saying about CBC cuts.

What can we look forward to as Canadians? The reality is that the Conservative government has done nothing to prevent the reduction of up to 800 jobs. It has done nothing to stop the scaling back of local programming or regional radio and television programming, and nothing to reduce the reduction in news coverage.

What is even clearer is that even though 800 jobs have been lost and CBC Radio-Canada has been left twisting in the wind by the government, the minister remains unwilling to provide any flexibility or honesty in the face of potentially deeper and more devastating cuts to come.

Destroying CBC Radio-Canada has been part of the Prime Minister's agenda for over a decade and is a goal that the majority of his cabinet supports. They are taking advantage of tough economic times to launch an assault on a national institution. This behaviour by the Conservative government is consistent with its long-stated opposition to government support for CBC-Radio Canada.

In 1995, the now Prime Minister said that reform policy would place the government sponsored loser, and by loser he was referring to the CBC, in a situation where subsidies are weaned away. This is from a government that says that it does not pick winners and losers.

A while back, the Prime Minister and half of his cabinet were saying that they do not pick winners and losers. I guess it depends on when it is convenient for them.

This is not the first time that the government has flip-flopped on something.

On that note, I close with a plea to the Prime Minister and his cabinet to support CBC and to stop ignoring the fact that CBC-Radio Canada is of huge importance to Canadians from coast to coast to coast and, in particular, to the people of northern Ontario.

Simply put, the role and mandate of the CBC-Radio Canada must be preserved and the Conservative government has a responsibility to ensure that these priorities remain intact.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:25 p.m.

NDP

Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is quite aware, in many areas of northern Ontario the CBC is the only radio station and TV station available. Eight people in the Sudbury station are being permanently laid off. That is half of the people in that station.

My office has received hundreds of emails and phone calls about these cutbacks in Sudbury, which affects all of northern Ontario.

Does the hon. member think it would be prudent to permit the public broadcaster to save some money in good times?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Nickel Belt certainly understands what it is like to be in northern Ontario. He has communities, like I do, that really have CBC as their only source of information. We do not have the luxury that parts of southern Ontario or large metropolitan areas have where they have a multitude of stations to choose from. To cut service to somewhere like Sudbury so that northern Ontario gets a smaller service, it really hurts every Canadian and every northern Ontarian.

The thing is that there are only 16 people covering a massive area. Northern Ontario is a large piece of geography. It is not like a concentrated city where there are hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, covering events within a couple of hundred square kilometres. We have tens of hundreds of thousands of space and we are cutting the staff in half. We are cutting 16 people down to 8, which is just not enough to run a proper radio station.

Cutting this out of northern Ontario and out of Sudbury is a black eye to the people of northern Ontario.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, my colleague understands the importance of CBC for our regions, which the government does not.

The government said that it increased CBC/Radio-Canada's budget, but we all know that this is absolutely false. We also have a number of quotes from government members, from members of the former Reform Party, who wanted to systematically reduce the corporation's funding, year after year. These people are now in office.

Does my colleague agree that the government is trying to take advantage of the current economic crisis to go after CBC/Radio-Canada? Is the government not trying to do indirectly what it cannot do directly?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Honoré-Mercier. That is a very good point. We often see the Conservative government act in this fashion. It is doing what it could not do before, by resorting to private members' bills. The Conservatives are doing things through the back door. What they are doing now with CBC/Radio-Canada is a prime example. The government is using the economic situation not to make direct cuts, but to choke the corporation. It is making sure that the money does not get where it should. Personally, I call that an act of cowardice.

It is an act of cowardice where, when one cannot do it directly, one switches over and does it through the back door. We see that often with many of the government's actions and that is not what Canadians want in Parliament. They want a government that is straight with people and faces up to them.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé, for a very brief question.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives all want to privatize. They love private businesses.

Does the member think that the cuts being made by the Conservatives at the expense of CBC/Radio-Canada are being made in order to benefit a private broadcaster such as Canwest Global Communications Corp., or CTV?

I have another question. I put a question to his Liberal colleague: what does he propose, in terms of per capita funding, for the CBC/Radio-Canada network?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Nipissing—Timiskaming has 30 seconds to respond.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt in my mind that, ultimately, this government wants to privatize everything it can. The Conservatives do not believe that they have a responsibility to protect small communities. Given their frame of mind, their wild west mentality, they hold the view that if one cannot succeed, if one experiences problems, then one should move to a large city.

In small communities, it is important to have a communication network, and CBC/Radio-Canada is the network that is serving them now and that will continue to serve them in the future—

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Resuming debate.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Beauport—Limoilou Québec

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary for Status of Women

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague from Lévis—Bellechasse.

I would like to begin by reiterating this government's commitment to arts and culture. In Canada's economic action plan in budget 2009, our government demonstrated its firm commitment to the arts, culture, and heritage. The Government of Canada will invest $540 million, that is, over half a billion dollars, to ensure as much stability as possible for this sector in these challenging times.

I would like to speak briefly about these tough times. The current global recession is affecting all sectors of the economy, including arts and culture. Once again, the government's economic action plan is a detailed plan to stimulate economic growth, restore confidence and assist Canadians during this period of global recession.

The Government of Canada has helped, is helping and will continue to help this sector. Here are some concrete examples: $200 million over the next two fiscal years will be allocated to the creation and broadcasting of high-quality Canadian television programs in English, French, and aboriginal languages; over $28 million over the next two fiscal years will be allocated to continue to encourage the creation of Canadian interactive digital cultural media works; $14 million over four years, that is, $3.5 million a year, will serve to continue to support and enhance the arts, culture and heritage within minority anglophone and francophone communities; $7 million of additional support is earmarked to support training for Canadian artists through improvements to the national arts training contribution program; $5 million will be invested to implement a new national translation program for book publishing. The purpose of that program is to increase the availability of Canadian books in both official languages.

We support the arts because our artists and our cultural institutions play an important role in the lives of Canadians and Quebeckers within our economy. The response given recently by my colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, demonstrates that our government recognizes the importance of the arts and cultural sector in stimulating and strengthening our economy.

We also support CBC/Radio-Canada because it remains and will remain Canada's public broadcaster in English and French in addition to being one of our most important cultural institutions. How should we support CBC/Radio-Canada? By investing in our public broadcaster.

I would like to point out how important the government considers CBC/Radio-Canada to be. Our investment in the corporation is the largest of all our spending on culture, with the exception of the budget of the Department of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

According to the 2008 annual report to Parliament on crown corporations and other corporate interests of Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada's share of all budgetary appropriations received by crown corporations is 22%.

Since 2006, our government has invested over $3 billion to enable CBC/Radio-Canada to fulfill its mandate. In 2008-09, our government gave the crown corporation $1.117 billion to fulfill its mandate to Canadians throughout the country, in English, French and eight native languages.

Our commitment was to maintain funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, and we have kept our word. To better illustrate our commitment to the public broadcaster since 2006, we have renewed additional funding of $60 million for CBC/Radio-Canada for Canadian programming.

Once again, by its actions and its decisions, our government shows the importance it gives to Canadian programming by allocating another $60 million for 2009-10.

In addition to the votes approved by Parliament, the CBC-Radio Canada can count on three other sources of funding—advertising revenues, subscription revenues and revenues from related activities. The CBC-Radio Canada has generated over $1.5 billion in revenues since 2006-07.

The role of a responsible government is not limited to handing out dollars. We must also ensure healthy governance, strong management and effective accounting.

To this end, the CBC-Radio Canada has a board of directors comprising 12 directors, including the chair of the board and the CEO. Although they are always appointed by the governor in council for their skills and broad experience, it is they who are at the helm of the corporation. It operates independently of government.

This board of directors is responsible for managing the affairs and activities of the corporation. Under the Broadcasting Act, the corporation is accountable to Parliament through the minister of Canadian heritage. This does not prevent the corporation from providing an accounting. Under the Act, the CBC-Radio Canada is obliged to submit a business plan to the government. This plan includes a statement of the corporation's objectives for the coming five years and a strategy for their implementation, the capital budget and the operating budget for the next fiscal year and the corporation's plans to borrow during the current fiscal year.

The capital budget has to be approved by Treasury Board, and any plan to borrow requires approval by the Minister of Finance.

The corporation is also required to submit to the Minister of Canadian Heritage a summary of its revised business plan reflecting the financial resources Parliament plans to allocate to CBC/Radio-Canada. The minister then has to table this summary in Parliament. By making its business plan summary public, CBC/Radio-Canada is clearly indicating to parliamentarians and Canadians what its priorities are and how these will be met.

While CBC/Radio-Canada is exempt from part X, it is nonetheless required under the Financial Administration Act to keep satisfactory accounting records and conduct appropriate internal audits. It has to provide the Minister of Canadian Heritage, at his request, with reports on its financial activities.

Finally, within three months after the end of each financial year, the corporation is required to submit an annual report to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and to the President of the Treasury Board. In turn, the minister has to submit this annual report to Parliament within 15 days after receiving it. Again, as a public entity funded by us all, CBC/Radio-Canada has to clearly present its operating results to the people of Canada and Quebec.

The Government of Canada recognizes that CBC/Radio-Canada plays a unique role in reporting stories about Canadians, influencing our national identity and bringing people closer together.

The Government of Canada recognizes the role of our national broadcaster within Canadian society by providing it with more than $1 billion in parliamentary supply for the current year and renewing again for next year additional funding of $60 million for Canadian programming.

As we can see, our government has delivered on its promises. Clearly, our government is acting as a responsible manager.

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member two questions. Why is the government resisting to provide bridging loans when this is a golden time for public broadcasting in Canada? Audience numbers are at a historic high, the organization has co-operation with its unions, and all research shows that Canadians are deeply concerned about regional news. What will the closure of regional offices mean, in terms of disaster preparedness and mitigation for small towns in, for example, northern Ontario?

Opposition Motion—CBC/Radio-CanadaBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question and remind her that her party cut $400 million in funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, not to mention 4,000 jobs, based on nothing at all. I certainly do not need lectures from that party.