Canadian Heritage committee  We think it's okay the way it is. I'm not sure we've seen a lot of evidence on what the current levels are in broadcasting. We've asked for them; we don't see them. Particularly in terms of debt, there are.... It's interesting; when I compare it to the newspapers, for instance, we have the old Southam newspapers, currently Canwest newspapers, and now 92% of those shares are owned by foreigners, despite parliamentary acts that....

Canadian Heritage committee  We do have a pretty good system. Our union represents telecommunications workers across the country. It depends on what data you look at in terms of the cost of mobile in this country. Do you look at just local or long distance? Do they get a phone included? There are about 15 different ways of looking at this.

Canadian Heritage committee  The last two times I have had the opportunity to appear here—I want to just congratulate you—the reports that have come out of this committee have been very beneficial, with some excellent recommendations, including the one on the LPIF, the local programming improvement fund. So you do have weight, and we would encourage you to look at this.

Canadian Heritage committee  The data we gave you here is alarming, I think, there's no question about it. It certainly alarms us. In terms of the access to information, it took us months and months just to get the bylaws for the CRTC. So there's a problem there. Let me refer to the statement by, I think, Mr.

Canadian Heritage committee  We're certainly in favour of merging those two acts. We think it just makes sense. I know there are some honourable members here who agree with that. We think it makes sense. If you are prepared to do it, then Parliament itself will study the issue. It needs more data, but in the body of the act will come, we would hope, some regulation of the Internet and, as others have suggested—and we agree with them—some method of bringing some of the financial resources from the Internet to bear on Canadian content.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm not sure there are that many small or independent broadcasters. I wish there were, but in fact there aren't. You've seen the recent purchases by Shaw and BCE. For those that are around, I think they're finding their way, but they are very worried about access, and so they should be.

Canadian Heritage committee  I would add, and I think our submission lays a foundation for this, that whatever regulation you come up with—and we think it's possible that there is regulation that doesn't hamper the entrepreneurial aspects of even these large corporations—it has to be fact-based. It can't be “let's guess it and we go along”.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. My name is Peter Murdoch. I'm CEP's vice-president of media, and with me is Monica Auer, our legal counsel in this area. CEP is Canada's largest media union. Thousands of CEP members work in broadcasting and telecommunications, and many hundreds of them cover and broadcast the news across Canada and are keenly interested in your work.

Industry committee  You know, I think this is.... It's the post office. It's television. It's even a phone. It's a game. I mean, it's everything. And there's no way to disentangle that. Not only that; I don't believe any telecommunications company or broadcasting company really wants you to. There's an old Arab saying: the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

Industry committee  Yes.

Industry committee  Thank you.

Industry committee  Alain, just hold on a minute. First of all, we don't know for sure, by the way that...and you're right, all the commentators are saying that this country, thank heavens, is going to come out of the recession in excellent shape. I don't know whether that's because of foreign investment; I think it's because we've had a very well regulated, and, if you will, fairly conservative view in our banking system.

Industry committee  If I understand your example, you're asking, if a Canadian company in California invents product A or technology A, would Canadians benefit from that?

Industry committee  I suspect they would. But I guess--

Industry committee  I am aware that we invest more than they do here. I'm aware of that. I would venture to say, though, specifically we're talking about some very key industries here; I'll mention that later on. These are different industries. This is not a furniture company. This is essential to our national identity and to our national strategy, to our security.