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From Question Period - May 15, 2000:
Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage who is responsible for the CBC. It now appears certain after the announcement or non-announcement on Friday that CBC has plans to violate, even repudiate, the mandate given to it by the government and the mandate that the CBC committed itself to in front of the CRTC.
I want to ask the Minister of Canadian Heritage as the minister responsible for CBC and for making sure that mandate is lived up to what the government intends to do now in order to make sure that the CBC does not go ahead with these plans.
Hon. Sheila Copps (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, subsection 3(1) of the Broadcasting Act makes it very clear that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has the responsibility to reflect Canada and its regions to the national and regional audiences while serving the special needs of those regions. I fully expect that mandate will be respected
Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the minister said in the House before that she expects the mandate to be lived up to, but what she is not telling the House is what she will do if it is not lived up to, what she will do about the fact that the vice-president of English CBC has all but indicated that they will not live up to the mandate.
Could she please tell us how she will communicate to the CBC that Toronto is not the centre of the universe and that regional news broadcasts like 24 Hours in Winnipeg and Here and Now in Newfoundland and in other Canadian cities need to be preserved or otherwise the CBC will hardly be worth having soon?
Hon. Sheila Copps (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member's comments and views are shared by all members of the House, including members of the Canadian Alliance. I fully expect that the CBC will continue to meets is mandate under the Broadcasting Act
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