Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all my colleagues that yesterday was World Press Freedom Day.
The United Nations has declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day.
We all know what a fundamental cornerstone of our democratic system a free press represents.
Without strong, independent media, our democratic system simply could not work.
Our citizens need to be informed of what is happening in their world. Without this kind of information, they cannot make informed decisions and cannot fully benefit from living in our society.
Whether in matters of public health—as we are seeing right now with the flu crisis—or to inform the public about decisions made by their government on their behalf, information provided by the media allows everyone to make more informed choices.
Let us take this opportunity together to reflect on the vital, no the indispensable, role of the free press in our society.