Bloc bill to regionalize CRTC meets strong opposition

Bloc Québécois private member’s Bill C-444, which would create a regional CRTC office in Quebec, met strong opposition from Conservative, Liberal and NDP MPs during a House debate Monday. The bill, introduced by Bloc MP Nicolas Dufour on Sept. 28, 2009, was debated at second reading in the House of Commons. Dufour proposes creating a provincial regulatory equivalent to the CRTC, called the Conseil québécois de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications (CQRT). The bill is not likely to progress in Parliament given that, during the debate, MPs from all other parties rose to criticize it. During debate, Dufour said Quebec’s need for its own version of the CRTC stems from its unique culture and broadcasting system. Liberal MPs Paul Szabo and Mauril Bélanger questioned whether the creation of a Quebec CRTC would be beneficial to French-speaking Canadians outside the province. In response, Dufour said Quebec has a unique culture different from other Canadian provinces and that the province could support French culture in the rest of Canada. Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez, his party’s heritage critic, said the bill would ultimately weaken the CRTC. “We must not weaken , as has been proposed by . I don’t think that parceling out the CRTC would strengthen the position. Would five, six, seven or 10 CRTCs do better work than the CRTC as it stands today?” he said. Conservative MP Sylvie Boucher, Parliamentary secretary for the status of women, also opposed the bill, saying it “represents an obstacle to the development and the competitiveness of Quebec businesses in the area of communications.” “Bill C-444 would fragment the control and regulatory monitoring that already exists … This double jurisdiction would be created by the bill because there would be provincial regulation, which would lead to a slowing of the development of strategic sectors for Quebec and for Canada,” she said. “Our government is convinced that the regulatory framework that we have at the present time allows French-language communities and Quebec businesses to function well, and have their concerns met.” NDP MP Charlie Angus, his party’s digital affairs and heritage critic, said the party opposes the bill’s proposition to regionalize the CRTC, but asks that it be studied before a parliamentary committee. “While we have questions about certain aspects of Bill C-444, we believe that it should be studied in committee so we can debate it, listen to experts, and come up with solutions,” he said. “The NDP agrees that this be sent to committee, not because we want to break up the regulation in this area in Canada, but we want to make sure there is protection for linguistic and cultural matters in the province of Quebec.” Dufour said his proposal to create a CQRT is not partisan. “Quebec governments of all stripes have asked for the control of its broadcasting and telecommunications sectors from Ottawa,” he said. Dufour cited a letter from Quebec Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre to federal Heritage Minister James Moore, dated March 23, 2009, that asked for the regionalization of CRTC functions. However the provincial government does not support Dufour’s bill. St-Pierre’s proposal differs from the Bloc’s in that it does not call for a separate branch of the CRTC in Quebec, Valérie Rodrigue, St-Pierre’s press secretary, told The Wire Report. According to her letter, St-Pierre has proposed: “the establishment of consultation mechanisms when federal broadcasting and telecommunications laws are revised; “the establishment of a consultation mechanism when Cabinet reviews CRTC decisions impacting Quebec; “the regionalization of certain CRTC activities; “the formal constitution of a regional CRTC office in Quebec; “Quebec’s participation in the selection of CRTC commissioners from the province; and, "a guaranty of a sufficient number of CRTC commissioners from Quebec.” The Wire Report recently reported that there have been discussions on the matter between the Quebec provincial government and the federal government. kfournier@thewirereport.ca

Bloc bill to regionalize CRTC meets strong opposition

News | 03/08/2010 9:21 pm EST

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