Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I am accompanied today by the Vice-Chair of Broadcasting, Michel Arpin, and the Acting Associate Executive Director of Broadcasting, Scott Hutton. I know that you are aware of the current situation with regard to t

Canadian Heritage committee  Well, you've had the witnesses before you. You had Shaw here. You had Quebecor here. They raised their concerns about how the fund is being administered, how it's being spent, etc. These were set out in great detail. I think they speak for themselves. I don't purport to speak for

Canadian Heritage committee  No, Mr. Scott, I'm trying to do just the opposite. I'm trying not to take a position. I want the task force to take the position. I'm just pointing out that the assertions are that they have not been addressed. I know that the CTF has taken certain steps, but obviously they hav

Canadian Heritage committee  I met with both Pierre Karl Péladeau and his vice-president, and I met with Jim Shaw and his vice-president to find out what their concerns were and to echo the call by the minister to resume payments. The minister, as you know, suggested that they should make payments. I shoul

Canadian Heritage committee  I issued the press release after the minister had publicly asked them to resume payments. I had been, at that point in time, one week on the job. I was being briefed and the minister made that comment, and obviously I read letters from several parties. For instance, the Directors

Canadian Heritage committee  There really was no need to take a position because payments were being made on a monthly basis. I don't know when Shaw announced that it wouldn't make the monthly payments, but I think it was basically during the interregnum--my predecessor was leaving and I wasn't appointed yet

Canadian Heritage committee  The new technologies are at the centre of the crisis, there is not doubt about that. They are the major cause. As for who we will be consulting, my colleague Mr. Arpin is in a better position to answer that question.

Canadian Heritage committee  I was not there at the time; therefore I cannot answer. Scott are you able to respond to that?

Canadian Heritage committee  Do not forget that we are not responsible for the Fund. It is the responsibility of the Department of Canadian Heritage. When people speak of the authorities, they are probably referring to the department. Our responsibility is limited to disbursing Fund monies. I do not know wh

Canadian Heritage committee  The Broadcasting Act, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, and the Telecommunications Act give me a task to do, and essentially as an independent regulator we discharge our mandate in the way we see best, most efficient, and hopefully most successf

Canadian Heritage committee  I disagree with your initial argument that there has been a breach of the law. As I explained to Mr. Scott, there has been no breach of the law here. What there has been is there have been no monthly payments. The monthly payments are traditional, but they're not mandated by law.

Canadian Heritage committee  First of all, I don't know the specific issue that you're referring to. My colleague will answer on it. I just want you to understand that the CRTC is a regulator. We regulate. We lay down the regulations on those things that absolutely have to be done. We also issue directives

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm sorry, I'm here to talk about the CTF, not elections. I will ask my colleague to answer that.

Canadian Heritage committee  I don't know what's so difficult to understand. There's a difference between something that's law and something that's convention. It's usually to the interest of both sides of convention to live up to it. Michel will tell you about the election circulars.

Canadian Heritage committee  Scott can probably tell you better how long it has been percolating.