Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer that question.
As chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, I have dealt with the CBC many times. Indeed, we are conducting a study right now.
It is obvious that the Conservative government is attacking the CBC, and it is also clear that Canada needs the CBC. It is a public broadcaster, like those in many other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. These countries have public broadcasters. Canada is one of the countries with the lowest costs per capita for what is in our case a crown corporation, the CBC.
This corporation prepares annual reports that are tabled in Parliament. It justifies all its expenditures. It is absolutely necessary for all Canadians to have a broadcaster in both official languages everywhere in Canada, whether they are in northern Ontario, where they can receive services in French, out west, or in eastern Canada. This is crucial, and it is important that this service be maintained as much as possible.