Industry committee  Let me begin by saying, first of all to Mr. Garneau, that in terms of the cost, speed, choice, information, etc., all you have to do is look at the ads or read the AGMs of all the big companies: they have those bases covered. Look at the ads; they have speed, choice, and so on. So I think the very companies that you suggest might benefit from foreign ownership will tell both shareholders and customers that they have the bases covered right now.

Industry committee  Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members, and committee staff. For the record, my name is Peter Murdoch, and I am the vice-president, media, of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. With me is Michel Ouimet, executive vice-president for our Quebec region.

Canadian Heritage committee  I don't know, I'll just take it very briefly. The first thing is accountability. Supposedly once this fund is set up, it's set up for a purpose, and I think as an incumbent, to ensure that purpose is met.... It's not a slush fund for broadcasters. It's not something to go to the bottom line.

Canadian Heritage committee  Well, (a) we would like to see some sort of enforcement of it, but (b) it seems to me we have the cart before the horse. If we have a commitment to local news and local programming, if we believe Canadians deserve that in whatever community they live across the country, then let's ensure that they have it.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think this committee, other committees, other royal commissions, other inquiries, for years have been calling for a fully resourced public broadcaster. It's not new. The question is, why hasn't anything been done about it? I don't care which party it is. Why hasn't anything been done about it?

Canadian Heritage committee  We are aware, as all Canadians are, that there's an economic downturn right now, so this business climate is unique. It will pass; broadcasters will come back, the economy will come back, and away we go. Right now we're in a moment unique in our history. It's not a matter of being onerous.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think the crisis is at the CRTC. Look, these local stations were given licences. They have been described by broadcasters, the unions, citizens, and public interest groups as the very foundation of Canadian broadcasting. If Parliament or the CRTC can't find a way to ensure that these stations keep going, we are abandoning Canadians.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you for the invitation to appear. My name is Peter Murdoch. I'm vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. CEP is Canada's largest media union. We represent more than 20,000 workers in Canada's media, including private sector broadcasters, specialty TV services, independent film and television, and Canada's newspapers.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'd like to thank the committee.

Canadian Heritage committee  What was the impact of the cuts?

Canadian Heritage committee  Well, some stations were actually closed. I think the disastrous decision that was being proposed by Mr. Rabinovitch to end the supper-hour news shows, which was turned back and ended up being half an hour but still cost the CBC an enormous amount in terms of audience and trust, was a direct result of trying to deal with funding cuts.

Canadian Heritage committee  I don't think it is, but it's a personal decision. I've looked at some of the decisions they've made. The one I was talking about on the news-hour show I thought was just abysmal. Given the damage it did, I think heads would have rolled in the private sector. We've had an abysmal labour relations atmosphere at the CBC, and it's much worse than at the private sector.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, I do. I think the sense now--and it's more a sense of reality--is that it is too tied to patronage. I'd like to see that the best and the brightest get appointed to the board in a process that is transparent, and then, once that board is appointed, see that we give it the authority to run the corporation, which means the authority to hire and fire its CEO and president.

Canadian Heritage committee  I don't know. If I were you, I would certainly ask ACTRA. I think they are up next. They probably are closer to the independent production community. I would say that they need guidance, in some ways, from the CRTC. The CRTC has almost washed its hands of the Internet, and that's part of the problem.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm not surprised that politicians want to get their names in the paper, or that you want get your face on air, and I'm not surprised if the Prime Minister wants to do it as well. The problem I have, particularly with the Prime Minister doing it, is that it sends a chill across the CBC.