House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 31% of the vote.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 20th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Lacroix also said that he would not ask for even one more penny from this government because he knows he would not get it, despite the fact that the public broadcaster is struggling to fulfil its mandate and comply with the law.
The young CBC staff—
CBC/Radio-Canada November 20th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, during the town hall meeting about CBC/Radio-Canada, the host of the popular show Découverte came forward with an impassioned plea for the future of our public broadcaster. He said, and I quote, “It’s gone too far. We don’t have the means to do what we should be doing, and well.” He denounced the successive cuts by the Conservatives and the Liberals that have hurt the corporation.
Will the minister acknowledge that CBC's board of directors needs fewer Conservative cronies and more people like Charles Tisseyre who are passionate about culture and information?
CBC/Radio-Canada November 18th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, CBC clearly does not need another Conservative on its board of directors. What CBC needs is board members who care about our public broadcaster.
Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister also sent the minister a clear reminder that Canada has recognized the importance of its founding peoples and supported their development. Cutting parliamentary appropriations is contrary to that.
Will the minister backtrack, if that is even possible, and give CBC the means to fulfill its mandate to offer local content and regional and national news in French from coast to coast? Is backtracking even possible?
CBC/Radio-Canada November 18th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, by now, everyone knows that nine of the 12 CBC board members are Conservative Party backers.
How about this for a surprise? Yesterday, members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage received notice of a new appointee: Sonja Chong, who gave the Conservatives $1,000, will replace Peter Charbonneau, whose greatest flaw was never having given money to the Conservative Party.
How can the minister claim that CBC is independent when she keeps stacking the board with Conservative sympathizers?
Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act November 18th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak. We will take advantage of that while we can.
Even though the minister thinks that the committee is supreme, will he at least agree to televising the committee's meetings?
CBC/Radio-Canada November 17th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, at just $28 per Canadian, Canada ranks really low when it comes to funding our public broadcaster. It is hopeless.
The CBC cannot function properly without adequate parliamentary funding. I am repeating this because it seems that the Liberals and some Conservatives clearly do not understand it. In a letter published Friday, even Hubert Lacroix admits that he does not have the resources needed to fulfill the public broadcaster's mandate.
Some 25,000 ordinary Canadians are worried. Will the minister ever see the light and understand that?
CBC/Radio-Canada November 17th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I took to the streets of Montreal with more than 25,000 people who were demonstrating their love for CBC/Radio-Canada. There were protests from Montreal to Gaspé and in Sherbrooke, Moncton and Ottawa. It was a massive demonstration that was organized by Nicolas Bédard, who feels it is unacceptable that our public broadcaster is being dismantled. We all chanted in unison that we love the CBC and it is important to us.
Will the minister finally hear the message?
Committees of the House November 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I move that the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, presented on Thursday, June 12, 2014, be concurred in.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, while the Minister of Canadian Heritage and her parliamentary secretary keep falsely claiming that the CBC is separate from the government, the CBC has a board of directors stuffed with big bosses of mining and oil companies and former directors of the Conservative Party. They are not there for their knowledge of arts and culture. It is like the minister-of-no-concern, pardon me, the Minister of Infrastructure, who said yesterday that he enjoys culture as much as he enjoys pizza.
Why does this government have such contempt for culture?
CBC/Radio-Canada November 7th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, a group of citizens from Gatineau and Ottawa came together to denounce the draconian cuts to Radio-Canada/CBC. They launched the group “CBC, I Care!”. They are calling for the board of directors to resign if it is not willing to fight for the CBC.
Since the Mulroney government, CBC's budgets have been cut by 40%. It is now impossible for the crown corporation to fulfill its mandate.
The government has already cut the fat, the muscle and the bone. Now there are cuts to service, news, archives and even wardrobe. Is it the CBC's soul that the minister is after?