Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, I’m pleased to be able to participate in the excellent debate initiated by our colleague Senator Cardozo on the future of CBC/Radio-Canada.

Those who have already spoken have made very valuable contributions. They have already made very relevant points about a lot of subjects. I want to address the issue of our public broadcaster’s international network and how it should position itself globally given the changes in the world.

First, contrary to what we’ve heard from some people, I don’t think that we should cut the funding for this key institution in our country. On the contrary, I think that its budget should be reassessed based on its national and international mandates.

As Senator Forest pointed out, Japan spends $68 per capita per year on its public broadcaster. France spends $79 and Germany spends $149. Canada spends $33 per capita, so one can hardly say that we overspend in this area.

As you will have gathered, I don’t believe that doing away with CBC/Radio-Canada is an option. Putting an end to our public broadcaster as we know it would be a major political mistake and would mean the loss of one of the most essential means we have for staying up to date on what’s happening in our continental country.

This position would create imbalance between the services offered in both official languages. In this case, as for all major Canadian institutions, this breach would be unbearable, as it is when French is ignored by these institutions.

What’s more, I’m of the opinion that CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate requires our Crown corporation to give our cultures a tool that has become indispensable in this time of GAFA and social media. That is what’s expected of our public broadcaster.

Is the expectation met by the current programming and the broadcast zones in the country and around the world? The question needs to be asked. Colleagues, you won’t be surprised that I want to emphasize the international component of our public broadcaster’s mandate.

It’s both what it tells us about the world, and what it tells the world about who we are. Our national interests are at stake. I believe there should be a Canadian outlook on world events. I also believe that the world has a right to know our positions on peace and security, and the development of international institutions and their policies. More specifically, people need to know the nature of our environmental, social and cultural policies. In recent years, CBC/Radio-Canada has closed a large number of its offices around the world: Moscow and Beijing both closed in 2022 following decisions by local authorities, along with Mexico, Dakar, Nairobi and Rio de Janeiro, not to mention the significant downsizing in London and Paris. Someone, somewhere, has to take a responsible look at this drastic withdrawal, this quasi-abandonment of the Crown corporation’s international dimension. Clearly, our public broadcaster’s worldwide international network has become almost non-existent, and on the African continent, there is nothing left of it at all.

Worse still, some continents, such as Africa, have no permanent correspondents at all. A continent with a population of over 1.3 billion is no longer covered by our public broadcaster, which, in French, simply repeats Agence France-Presse, or AFP, dispatches with its truncated, neo-colonial vision of news from that continent. This means that all we see on our screens is the Africa of war, famine and poverty. That’s not just a simple a mistake. It’s the systematic and intolerable spreading of disinformation. Who in this esteemed chamber has heard that Kenya is successfully generating 90% of its national electricity from renewable sources, right now, in 2024? Who has heard that the United Nations Development Program, the UNDP, plans to mobilize a billion dollars to establish technology hubs across Africa and support 10,000 innovative start-ups? Who has heard that, in a troubled global economic environment, the IMF is forecasting a growth rate of 3.8% in sub-Saharan Africa for 2024? The absence of local correspondents not only prevents us from having a full and complete understanding of the continent’s reality, but it also makes it harder to effectively share Canada’s vision in Africa.

Dear colleagues, the CBC/Radio-Canada presence in the African continent would have many advantages. It will undoubtedly be able to promote common values in terms of democratic governance rights and freedom, including gender equality, promote our economic and commercial ties and will contribute to the dissemination of our scientific and cultural productions.

Finally, a CBC/Radio-Canada presence in Africa would bring a Canadian dimension to the ideological debates that, as you know, now dominate all perspectives on the future of the continent. China has considerably strengthened its media presence on the continent. Its CGTN Africa — China Global Television Network Africa — channel is now broadcast in over thirty countries across the continent. Moreover, China now trains African journalists at home, and also has a headquarters in Kenya, as well as offices throughout Africa, notably in Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. Russia is not to be outdone. Its Sputnik Africa and Russia Today networks are enjoying enormous and growing success, particularly in the francophone world.

CBC/Radio-Canada must learn how to speak to the world and broadcast the values dear to our country, the values which define us and which we wish to share with our African partners and throughout the world.

Today, let’s be clear — in media terms, we have abandoned this formidable responsibility.

CBC/Radio-Canada must once again project itself into Africa, not only to reflect back an accurate image of the continent in Canada, but also to broadcast and promote Canada’s values and view of the world to African listeners. CBC/Radio-Canada’s future also depends on an increased presence on online platforms. That’s where the new generations get their information today and that’s where debates of opinion take place. The same goes for Africa. The United Nations stated the following:

With Africa’s youth population projected to reach over 830 million by 2050, their involvement is crucial for shaping a sustainable and inclusive future.

The continent’s median age is just 19.7 years, making it the youngest in the world.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, the rate of internet use in Africa has more than doubled in 10 years, now reaching nearly 40% of the African population. That’s another piece of good news that you probably didn’t hear from our media sources.

Honourable senators, I’d like to reaffirm the need for our country to benefit from a public broadcaster that completely fulfills of its mandates, including its mandate to connect us with the world. This issue deserves very careful consideration.

Thank you for your attention.