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Information & Ethics committee No, I think that's ludicrous. Obviously programming is a commodity that has to be paid for somehow, just like anything else, either through subscriptions or advertising. If a broadcaster incorporates, gets a licence, begins broadcasting, presents programming to the public, and
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee I think it depends on your world view. If you accept the premise that the existing model of the CBC is viable, that you should have a hybrid organization that bids on the Olympics, that bids on NHL hockey games, that competes for commercial audiences, and that runs American movie
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee Yes, that's a possibility. CBC may have been in a difficult situation, but I should point out that, in our specific case, we had to get the information commissioner involved.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee We won our case in court, but despite that, CBC refused one of our requests again.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee I think we're talking about a systemic issue here. Any political party that moves into the Langevin Building.... We need only think back to the sponsorship scandal. The Gomery Commission was created only after a decade of the previous Canadian government putting up roadblocks. Re
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee ...of a systemic nature. It may not be a black hole It may be all the information....
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee We've had some turnover. Our research staff turned over two or three years ago. We don't keep elaborate records on this. As I said, we make hundreds of these applications. We've made very few to the CBC. To give you an idea, I think the CBC has over 7,000 staff. We have two sta
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee Right. And then we appeal to the Information Commissioner and win, and they ignore the outcome.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee I don't believe they even resorted to that. It would be ludicrous if they did.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee No, I don't think you can make the argument. Nobody can sit here and make the argument that $1.16 billion of public funds is an efficient allocation of public funds. It clearly isn't. We live in a 200 channel universe; 190 of the channels cost the taxpayers just about nothing, an
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee Natural Resources Canada is not a federal department from which the Canadian Taxpayers Federation tries to obtain information. So, I cannot discuss the activities of that department.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee There have been no cases, across the government or within specific departments or institutions, where officials did not cooperate regarding information in the areas of science or IT, for instance. This is a systemic issue throughout the federal government, and it's something that
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee I assume so.
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee Well, I'm not saying that this committee or the government shouldn't consider this as a priority. We have a long and storied track record that we've earned through thousands of access to information requests and through a long history of cooperating with other freedom of informat
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas
Information & Ethics committee Thank you for the question, Mr. Dreeshen. I think it goes back to one's world view. Regarding these bonuses for executives, creative personnel, and staff, if you're trying to keep a talented programmer, an idea person, a creative person, or perhaps a star revenue producer, some
October 18th, 2011Committee meeting
Gregory Thomas