Michel Dupuy

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know where our colleagues in Reform are coming from. One day they say they want to destroy the CBC. They want to privatize it. They do not want to see it any more.

I stand here saying we will defend the CBC. It will be a strong institution. It will be on the information highway and we are not going to have privatization. This is what I stand for.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am asked to deal with two issues in the question, one on the motivation of Mr. Manera's resignation. I am not speculating about the motivation for his resignation. He can speak for himself.

As to the second matter, I think I have been clear in the House. The budget contains some indication for the next fiscal year. It is 4 per cent which amounts to $44 million. The figures for the second and third year are derived from the program review.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague does not seem to grasp too well what was referred to the heritage committee. Had she done me the courtesy of listening, perhaps she would understand better. This may explain why the hon. member and her colleagues never understand anything: they do not listen.

I think that our colleague has a gift for telling the future. We had not yet outlined how we intend to review not only the CBC's mandate, but also that of the National Film Board and Telefilm Canada. This means she will have to wait for the review mandate to be clearly spelled out. I can assure her that it will not be the same as the mandate given the House of Commons heritage committee.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I think that our hon. colleague still does not understand the difference between a budget decision and the program review. It would seem this is where the confusion stems from. I have publicly explained these matters both in and outside this House.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, we know that our colleague would like to see the disappearance of the CBC as a public broadcaster in spite of the great credit it has earned itself over the years for Canada.

This does not surprise me. Not such a long time ago when the issue she raised was that of a country program with one Canadian program and channel to be defended against an American channel, she took the side of the American channel. Not only that, the Canadian channel was located in her own riding.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has made clear that in a budget which is a rigorous one all the agencies of the Canadian government have to participate in bearing the load.

We have done so with the CBC. We have indicated very clearly that there will be a cut next year. We have not removed the cuts which go back to the Mazankowski budget.

There is a clear situation in which the CBC has to bear part of the load and we think that it will be able to do so.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague is quite tenacious. She bounds off on a fishing expedition with lots of energy, yet comes back with nothing more than the refuse from the lake floor that her hook happened to catch on to. The decisions are contained in the budget and the other documents that Mr. Manera may have in his possession must be documents on program review.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, that will not be difficult. You already know what decisions the government made in the budget. As I explained yesterday, the CBC's budget was drawn up for the coming fiscal year. The remaining figures come from the program review that was undertaken last August.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition referred to the fact that arithmetic is taught in grade school. I am surprised that a former teacher cannot do simple arithmetic and realize that if there is one sector that was not hit hard, it is the cultural sector.

I therefore categorically deny our colleague's allegations and I can reiterate that Mr. Manera did not resign because of the budget. He said so himself in writing. She is in fact questioning the good faith of the former President of the CBC.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 1st, 1995]

-about "whited sepulchres". Only a few weeks ago, our colleague rose in this House, loudly demanding that Mr. Manera resign. Did she undergo a conversion? She is now defending him. Did she undergo a conversion and decide to defend the CBC, this great federalist, national institution?