Madam Speaker, I appreciate hearing from the member. I wish other Liberals felt that the executive bonuses doled out at the CBC were not a good idea and were, frankly, outrageous at a time when Canadians are suffering and when the CBC is making cuts.
I will say once again that the Liberals' threats to cut the CBC led to the elimination of 800 positions not too long ago. I am so disappointed that, while we are all talking about how to strengthen the CBC, although I should not say “all”, as certainly the Conservatives are not, the way the Liberals have overseen the CBC and the way the CBC has been run in recent years have contributed to an attack on its reputation.
We need to restore support for the CBC, which is very much centred on local and regional journalism, as the member referred to. In my region, we lost radio. Under the Liberals, the CBC has not fulfilled its mandate in northern Manitoba.
We need to get back to the basics. Canadians deserve a strong CBC but also an accountable CBC that is committed to local and regional broadcasting.