- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Bloc Québécois
- Drummond
- Quebec
- Voting Attendance: 68%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $108,134.67
- Government Page
- May/31/24 11:16:35 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, radio is a one-of-a-kind medium that really becomes part of people's everyday lives, sometimes literally. This is definitely true in the case of Yves Desautels, a Radio-Canada traffic reporter who just retired after a 47-year career.
From Regina, where he began his career, to Montreal, where he eventually got behind the wheel of his famous “hedgehog”, Mr. Desautels, Yves, quietly became part of our morning and afternoon routines, a trusted companion on our commutes to and from work. Even when working from home, we would tune in to listen to him, like a faithful friend whose voice is so comforting. With the perfect touch of humour at just the right time, he always struck the right tone when the situation was more serious, and was always grateful to the listeners who regularly called in to inform him of current traffic conditions.
Whether we like it or not, Yves Desautels is retiring. Yes, it will leave a void, but it has been so lovely seeing and hearing all the tributes he is receiving these days. To paraphrase journalist Anne Marie Lecomte, what a perfect off-ramp for him.
I wish Yves Desautels a happy retirement.
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- May/9/24 2:44:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the one hand, CBC/Radio-Canada CEO Catherine Tait assures us that programming and management will not be affected by a merger between CBC and Radio-Canada. On the other, it is understood that everything has already been merged, except programming and management.
Her merger plan, she says, is meant to align the sectors and find solutions together. Finding solutions together does not work. It means that CBC management is imposing its vision on Radio-Canada.
Why is the minister refusing to protect Radio-Canada's independence from CBC's anglophone management?
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- May/9/24 2:42:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are not the only ones who are concerned about the plan to bring the CBC and Radio-Canada closer together.
Yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly voted unanimously in favour of a motion calling on the public broadcaster to protect the autonomy of services in French and to work to consolidate those services. We need to ensure that the CBC and Radio-Canada remain separate, not bring them closer together.
When people like Catherine Tait talk about bringing the two sectors closer together, they are talking about subjecting Radio-Canada to the CBC's vision. That does not work. That is what led Michel Bissonnette to resign.
How does the minister intend to protect Radio-Canada's independence from the CBC?
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- May/7/24 3:00:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the only immediate threat to Radio‑Canada is not the Conservatives being elected, it is the president of CBC/Radio‑Canada, Catherine Tate, being appointed and given an extension by the Liberals. She is prepared to sacrifice the independence of the French sector as a way to protect against a potential government.
If we say that this is a slippery slope and we need to protect Radio‑Canada's independence, then the minister says that we are attacking the CBC like the Conservatives. It is ridiculous.
Whose side is the minister on, Catherine Tate's or Radio‑Canada's?
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- May/7/24 2:59:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when CBC/Radio-Canada CEO Catherine Tait decided to cut 600 jobs last fall, she wanted to cut as many on the French side as on the English side, without taking into account their respective performance or workforce.
Now, she is talking about bringing the programming and management of the CBC and Radio-Canada closer together because she wants to use Radio-Canada as a shield against possible Conservative cuts. They always look after the best interest of the CBC, not Radio-Canada.
Is the minister also prepared to sacrifice Radio-Canada's independence to protect the CBC?
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- Mar/22/24 11:16:41 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we often talk about the importance of saving, protecting and promoting Quebec songs, but it takes more than words. It takes music and, more importantly, it takes people who put words into action.
It takes people like Véronique Cloutier and the team at Rouge FM, who decided this week that their flagship show, Véronique et les Fantastiques, is going 100% francophone. Only French-language music will play on the airwaves during what Numeris says is the country's number one drive-time radio show. The Rouge FM team is sending a strong signal to their entire audience, their competition, and the entire Quebec population.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I say thank you to Véro and Rouge FM for standing up for francophone singers. I thank them for concretely supporting our creators, but also for sending them the message that Quebec is behind them during these difficult times for the music industry. I thank them for proving that we can create extremely popular and highly diversified radio programming thanks to all the talent we have at home.
I want to thank Véronique and the Fantastiques. They truly are fantastic.
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- Dec/14/23 3:16:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion:
That the House:
(a) affirm that Radio-Canada plays a crucial role in Francophone information and cultural vitality in Quebec and in Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities;
(b) recognize that the announced cuts could be detrimental to the promotion of French-language culture, at a time when the federal government recognizes that the French language is under threat in Canada;
(c) express its strong reservations of planned cuts at Radio-Canada and that it reiterates that the preservation of the public broadcaster's services in the various regions of Quebec and in Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities must be a priority.
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- Dec/7/23 3:15:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will find there is unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House (a) recall that Radio-Canada had 29% of the audience share in Quebec in 2022 and 2023—
Some hon. members: No.
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- Dec/5/23 2:59:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Radio‑Canada outperforms CBC. From news and current affairs to television series and soaps, Radio‑Canada is doing better than CBC. That is certainly not because there are more francophones in the country. We know that for a fact. However, Radio‑Canada, which has fewer employees and higher viewership, is being cut just as much as CBC. If anyone wanted to sabotage the French network, that would be the way to do it.
There is no way the Minister of Canadian Heritage did not know about what was coming. Did she alert her colleague, the Minister of Finance, before the economic update?
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- Nov/1/22 2:02:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the curtain fell on the Québec Cinéma gala in 2022, with its last broadcast on Radio‑Canada. This is a sad and, I believe, ill-advised decision.
Obviously, it is not up to this Parliament to decide on public television programming, and I am not about to tell Radio‑Canada decision-makers what should or should not go on the air, but as a proud Quebec film buff, I am concerned.
I am concerned when an opportunity to showcase Quebec cinema is shut down, when our creators, talented and brilliant creators, are no longer recognized for their work. I am concerned that people are quietly disconnecting from our culture.
The Québec Cinéma gala was an extraordinary showcase that Radio‑Canada has shattered without any consideration for our artists, our cultural milieu and our film industry. When something does not work, it should be fixed and improved, not destroyed.
This decision is unfortunate, but it is not too late to correct it. The Quebec film industry deserves much better.
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Madam Speaker, I did not hear a question, but I thank my colleague for her comments and will expand on them. She named some artists who became popular thanks to the quotas that were imposed many years before their time, when I was just starting out in radio.
That is fantastic. Ariane Moffatt, who is considered a veteran today, was a newcomer when I was just about at the end of my radio career. I think that makes an argument for the value of this bill and its many incentives for promoting our content.
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