Standing Committee on Transfrontier Television

The Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament met this day at 9:33 a.m. to consider an amendment to rule 86(1)(h) (Name of Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs); and, pursuant to rule 48(1), the question that whenever the Senate is sitting, the proceedings of the upper chamber, like those of the lower one, be televised, or otherwise audio-visually recorded, so that those proceedings can be carried live or replayed on CPAC, or any other television station, at times that are convenient for Canadians.

Another recommendation the finance committee made with respect to culture and an important fund for our television and film sectors, and one which I strongly support and I know members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage have supported, is to provide stable, long term funding to the Canadian television fund, the CTF, one of our great success stories.

That the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage urgently study the matter of the sale of the international rights to 135 titles from the CBC catalogue to Fireworks International, a division of ContentFilm of the United Kingdom and that the Standing Committee request representatives of the Board and management of CBC/Radio Canada to appear before it the week of February 11th to present their rationale for this sale to a non-Canadian corporation and to outline the process they engaged in this matter, and that representatives of the Canadian Film and TV Producers Association and other interested parties also be invited to appear before the ...[+++] Committee on this matter, and that, if necessary, extra meetings of the Committee be scheduled to facilitate this urgent study.

Therefore, pursuant to Standing Order 86.1: Bill C-207, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (tax credit for new graduates working in designated regions), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Finance; Bill C-265, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (qualification for and entitlement to benefits), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities; Bill C-305, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (exemption from taxation of 50% of United States social security payments to Canadian residents), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Finance; Bill C-327, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in ...[+++]television broadcasts), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage; Bill C-343, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (motor vehicle theft), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights; Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change, is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development; and Bill C-428, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (methamphetamine), is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.