Rick Dykstra

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the member may be right about the uniqueness of the CBC. He is certainly completely offside and wrong about the funding for the CBC.

As Hubert Lacroix said, there are “challenges of a rapidly changing media environment to which no conventional broadcaster is immune”. The CBC's viewership has declined, despite getting more than $1 billion in direct subsidies from the federal government and taxpayers. Changes at the CBC are the result of declining viewership in certain demographics and lower than expected advertizing revenues. That is the issue, and that is what CBC is working on.

[Justice, November 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that actually moved on the residential school issue after decades of neglect and decades of not wanting to take action. It was this government that made that apology, and the member is right that it was made on the floor of the House of Commons here.

Any time that member would like to support the justice system that we are working on implementing over the last nine years and for the next number of years, he is welcome to get on side with it. We would love to have his support.

[Justice, November 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we know that this member has, on a regular basis, brought this to the attention of all those in his riding and all those in the country, so we will let him have his day. He has done it again this morning, and certainly I am sure they will appreciate it.

[Taxation, November 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, now that the “Cars and TVs” campaign is in full swing, we are seeing what we can expect from Liberals in the coming year.

The Liberal candidate from Banff—Airdrie even said that we should not give money to Canadians because they might spend it on TVs or cars. What is more, the Liberal candidate in Ottawa Centre endorsed prioritizing money in hands of Ottawa bureaucrats, not Canadian families with children.

Only our Conservative government knows that parents, whether they work inside or outside of the home, can be trusted to make the right choices for their families. Thanks to the family tax cut and the enhanced universal child care benefit, 100% of families with children will have more money in their pockets and the freedom to spend it the way they want. We are proud that over four million families will benefit from this measure.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the member is fully and well aware that the appointments made at CBC are done through a very strict and regimented process. He should not be standing up here on a daily basis categorically insulting the people who are working on behalf of Canada at the CBC and doing the work that they are doing.

I would also add that it is up to the CBC to provide programming that Canadians actually want and to fulfill its mandate under the Broadcasting Act. They are working on it, they are doing it, and the member should quit insulting them.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, another question period, another comment from the member that is completely untrue and unfounded. These changes are being made by the CBC as a result of declining advertising revenue and declining viewership in very key demographics.

Our government provides significant taxpayers' funds to the CBC. I believe it can and should operate within its existing budget.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we go from one misleading statement to another regarding the CBC. It is too bad that the members do not honour and respect it as much as they claim outside of the House.

These changes are being made by the CBC as a result of declining advertising revenue and declining viewership in very key demographic areas. It is up to the CBC to provide programming that Canadians actually want and to fulfill its mandate under the Broadcasting Act.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the claims that the member opposite makes are completely and entirely false. The CBC is solely responsible for its day-to-day operations, including decisions with respect to programming and also human resources management. The member should know it, should understand it, and I hope he is going to stand up and ask another question on how he is misleading the House.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, October 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat this again. The CBC runs the operation, it is responsible for it and it is arm's length. It is up to the CBC to provide programming that Canadians actually want, fulfill its mandate under the Broadcasting Act and deliver those services to all Canadians across the country.

[CBC/Radio-Canada, October 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the changes that are being made by the CBC are as a result of declining advertising revenue and declining viewership in key demographics. Our government provides significant taxpayer funds to the CBC and we believe it can, and should, operate within its existing budget.