Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2007-01-30 18:15:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Maka Kotto (Saint-Lambert, BQ)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"394341\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to participate in this debate on Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2162708\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-327/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts)\">C-327</a> dealing with the reduction of violence in television broadcasts.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394342\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Television violence is a problem of such scope that it has been the subject of various, often controversial but always relevant and thought provoking, studies, reports and analyses. More importantly, this issue reminds the elected representatives that we are that, in our society, television has become an omnipresent media whose impact on the most receptive or vulnerable audiences, and I am thinking of our children, should never be underestimated.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394343\" data-originallang=\"fr\">At a time when an overwhelming majority of people in Canada and Quebec own at least one television set and spend an average of four hours a day watching this hypnotic box; when new media are being put on the market and the number of available stations keeps increasing; and when television is more and more and increasingly openly blamed for breeding a scourge of our society\u2014and I am referring to all forms of violence\u2014the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, through the determination and perseverance of the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a>, whose eloquent plea we have heard and grasped the scope of, could not pass on a relevant debate and another meaningful piece of legislation on the theme of television images of a violent nature and their impact on our youth. That is the raison d'\u00eatre of his bill to reduce violence in television broadcasts by granting the CRTC additional regulatory powers in this respect, without developing a censorship mentality.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394344\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The bill's summary states, and I quote, \u201cThis enactment amends the Broadcasting Act to grant the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission the power to make regulations respecting the broadcasting of violent scenes\u201d.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394345\" data-originallang=\"fr\">And here is how the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a> introduced his bill at first reading stage:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394346\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> A recent study by Laval University showed that acts of violence shown on television have tripled since 1994. The purpose of this bill is to amend the Broadcasting Act to create a regulation governing television violence. The CRTC would be responsible for monitoring how large broadcasters apply the regulation that would be created by the bill I am introducing today. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394347\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois is in favour of the bill and salutes the initiative of the member for <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a>. The Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois reminds the House that, beyond self-regulation, we must provide broadcasting with an adequate framework in order to avoid a drift toward sensationalism that does not necessarily reflect Quebec and Canadian values. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394348\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois believes that young children should not be confronted with violence at a very early age, because this would tend to trivialize it, with the predictable consequences. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394349\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As I was saying at the beginning of my speech, violence in our society is an issue that raises concerns among the general public and, indeed, the legislator that each of us represents here. In this regard, we have the responsibility to introduce legislation. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394350\" data-originallang=\"fr\">What are the impacts of television on our children? In 1998, a UNESCO study showed that children under the age of 12 were spending an average of three hours a day watching television, that is 50% more than at any other activity. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394351\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Children who watch very violent television or films are more likely to become aggressive. There is no doubt about it. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394352\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Many reports agree on this. There is an enormous amount of research into the effects of media violence. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394353\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Researchers have long wondered whether television violence has such effect on young people that it can actually make them more aggressive. After some 50 years of research into this question, some investigators such as Professor Howell Huesmann of the University of Michigan are convinced that there is evidence of a direct correlation. I quote him: </p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394354\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> \u2014exposure to media violence causes children to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394355\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Professor Huesmann demonstrated that when children imitate the actions of their \u201cmedia heroes\u201d, they develop \u201ccognitive scripts\u201d that ultimately guide their own behaviour. For example, when their heroes are violent, children internalize scripts in which violence is presented as an appropriate or legitimate method of settling disputes, solving problems or dealing with frustrations. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394356\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> According to other researchers, the psychological effects are not as important as the physiological effects in the internalization of aggressive behaviour seen on television. These researchers observed that exposure to violent imagery is linked to increased heart rate, faster respiration and higher blood pressure. They think that this simulated \"fight-or-flight\" response predisposes people to act aggressively in the real world. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394357\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Similarly, an American study looked at the effects over 20 years. It showed a modest correlation between shows watched by eight-year-old boys and an aggressiveness indicator 11 years later. Boys who watched a lot of violent shows when they were young had much more serious police records at 30 years of age than other boys. These effects could not be ascribed to other social factors. To quantify this \u201cmodest\u201d effect, the researchers said that it was comparable to the effect of tobacco consumption on lung cancer. All the experts in large research associations agree on these proven facts. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394358\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> I want to emphasize once again that the consumption of televisions shows has certain effects, both direct and indirect. No one will be able to say later that they did not know. I encourage the House, therefore, to show good sense and support Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2162708\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-327/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts)\">C-327</a>. </p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"394341\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, j'ai le plaisir de prendre part au d\u00e9bat entourant le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2162708\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-327/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts)\">C-327</a>, portant sur la r\u00e9duction de la violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394342\" data-originallang=\"fr\">L'importance du ph\u00e9nom\u00e8ne de la violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision est telle qu'il a donn\u00e9 lieu \u00e0 diverses \u00e9tudes, rapports et analyses, souvent controvers\u00e9s, mais toujours pertinents et aptes \u00e0 susciter la r\u00e9flexion. Surtout, cette question rappelle aux \u00e9lus que nous sommes, que la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision est devenue, au sein de notre soci\u00e9t\u00e9, un m\u00e9dia omnipr\u00e9sent dont l'influence sur les population les plus r\u00e9ceptives ou les plus fragiles \u2014 je veux dire nos enfants \u2014, ne doit jamais \u00eatre sous-estim\u00e9e.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394343\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Alors qu'une tr\u00e8s grande majorit\u00e9 de la population canadienne et qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise poss\u00e8de au moins un poste de t\u00e9l\u00e9vision et passe en moyenne quatre heures par jour devant cette bo\u00eete hypnotique, alors qu'apparaissent de nouveaux supports et que le nombre de cha\u00eenes disponibles ne cesse d'augmenter, et alors que la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision est accus\u00e9e de plus en plus ouvertement et de plus en plus fr\u00e9quemment de favoriser le d\u00e9veloppement d'un mal qui caract\u00e9rise notre soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u2014 je cite les violences de toute nature \u2014, le Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, par la pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance et la d\u00e9termination du d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a> \u2014 et nous avons entendu et saisi la port\u00e9e de son \u00e9loquent plaidoyer \u2014, ne pouvait faire ni l'\u00e9conomie d'un d\u00e9bat consistant, ni l'\u00e9conomie d'une mesure s\u00e9rieuse suppl\u00e9mentaire sur le th\u00e8me de l'imagerie t\u00e9l\u00e9visuelle \u00e0 caract\u00e8re violent et son incidence sur la jeunesse. C'est la raison d'\u00eatre de son projet de loi, qui vise \u00e0 r\u00e9duire la violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision en donnant des pouvoirs r\u00e9glementaires suppl\u00e9mentaires au CRTC sur cet enjeu, sans tomber dans une logique de censure. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394344\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Voici le r\u00e9sum\u00e9 du projet de loi en question. Le texte modifie la Loi sur la radiodiffusion afin d'accorder au Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des t\u00e9l\u00e9communications canadiennes le pouvoir de r\u00e9gir, par r\u00e8glement, la diffusion de sc\u00e8nes violentes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394345\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Et voici, en compl\u00e9ment, comment le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a> pr\u00e9sentait en premi\u00e8re lecture son projet de loi:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394346\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Une r\u00e9cente \u00e9tude de l'Universit\u00e9 Laval a d\u00e9montr\u00e9 que, depuis 1994, il y a eu une augmentation de plus de 200 p. 100 des actes de violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision. Donc, ce projet de loi vise \u00e0 modifier la Loi sur la radiodiffusion afin de cr\u00e9er un r\u00e8glement sur la violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision. Le CRTC aurait la responsabilit\u00e9 de v\u00e9rifier comment les grands t\u00e9l\u00e9diffuseurs appliquent le r\u00e8glement qui serait cr\u00e9\u00e9 par le projet de loi que je d\u00e9pose aujourd'hui. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394347\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois est favorable au projet de loi et f\u00e9licite l'initiative du d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78641\" href=\"/politicians/bernard-bigras/\" title=\"Bernard Bigras\">Rosemont\u2014La Petite-Patrie</a>. Le Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois rappelle qu'au-del\u00e0 de l'autor\u00e9gulation, il est n\u00e9cessaire d'encadrer ad\u00e9quatement la radiodiffusion afin d'\u00e9viter des d\u00e9rives, notamment dans un sensationnalisme qui ne correspond pas n\u00e9cessairement aux valeurs qu\u00e9b\u00e9coises et canadiennes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394348\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois est d'avis que les jeunes enfants n'ont pas \u00e0 \u00eatre confront\u00e9s d\u00e8s leur jeune \u00e2ge \u00e0 la violence, car cela tendrait \u00e0 la banaliser, avec des cons\u00e9quences que nous pouvons anticiper.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394349\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Comme je le disais au d\u00e9but de mon propos, la violence dans notre soci\u00e9t\u00e9 est une question qui pr\u00e9occupe le grand public et, par le fait m\u00eame, le l\u00e9gislateur que chacun d'entre nous incarne ici. \u00c0 cet \u00e9gard, il nous appartient de l\u00e9gif\u00e9rer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394350\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Quels sont les impacts de la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision sur nos enfants? En 1998, une enqu\u00eate de l'UNESCO avait montr\u00e9 que les jeunes de moins de 12 ans consacraient quotidiennement en moyenne trois heures \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision, soit 50 p. 100 de plus qu'\u00e0 n'importe quelle autre activit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394351\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Les enfants qui consomment une imagerie t\u00e9l\u00e9visuelle ou cin\u00e9matographique d'une grande violence sont plus susceptibles de devenir agressifs. C'est indubitable!</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394352\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Plusieurs rapports convergent dans ce sens. Les recherches sur les effets de la violence dans les m\u00e9dias sont l\u00e9gion sur le sujet. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394353\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Depuis des lustres, dans le milieu de la recherche, la question s'est souvent pos\u00e9e, \u00e0 savoir si la violence \u00e0 la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision avait un quelconque impact sur les jeunes au point d'en faire des individus plus agressifs. Au terme de plus ou moins 50 ann\u00e9es de recherche sur la question, certains chercheurs, \u00e0 l'instar par exemple du professeur Howell Huesmann, de l'Universit\u00e9 du Michigan, sont persuad\u00e9s de la preuve de l'existence d'une corr\u00e9lation directe. Je le cite: </p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394354\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> La violence des m\u00e9dias pousse les enfants \u00e0 se conduire de mani\u00e8re plus agressive et continue \u00e0 les affecter plus tard en tant qu'adultes. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"394355\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le professeur Huesmann a d\u00e9montr\u00e9 que quand les enfants imitent les actions incarn\u00e9es par des \u00ab personnages imag\u00e9s \u00bb, ils d\u00e9veloppent les \u00ab sc\u00e9narios cognitifs \u00bb qui, \u00e0 terme, d\u00e9terminent leurs comportements. Par exemple, quand le h\u00e9ros est violent, l'enfant va int\u00e9rioriser des sc\u00e9narios dans lesquels la violence est pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e comme une fa\u00e7on acceptable ou l\u00e9gitime de r\u00e9soudre un diff\u00e9rend, un probl\u00e8me ou d'estomper des frustrations. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394356\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Pour d'autres chercheurs, les effets psychologiques sont m\u00eame moins importants que les effets physiologiques dans le processus d'int\u00e9riorisation du comportement agressif inspir\u00e9 par la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision. Les chercheurs ont observ\u00e9 que la mise en sc\u00e8ne de la violence va de pair avec une acc\u00e9l\u00e9ration du rythme cardiaque, une respiration plus rapide et une augmentation de la tension art\u00e9rielle. Selon eux, cette r\u00e9ponse simul\u00e9e de pr\u00e9paration \u00e0 la bagarre pr\u00e9disposerait l'individu \u00e0 se comporter avec plus d'agressivit\u00e9 dans la vie r\u00e9elle. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394357\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Parall\u00e8lement, une \u00e9tude am\u00e9ricaine s'est pench\u00e9e sur le ph\u00e9nom\u00e8ne d'impacts, et ce, pendant une vingtaine d'ann\u00e9es. Les r\u00e9sultats ont montr\u00e9 que chez les gar\u00e7ons, les \u00e9missions suivies \u00e0 huit ans \u00e9taient li\u00e9es de mani\u00e8re modeste \u00e0 un indicateur d'agressivit\u00e9 onze ans plus tard. Les gar\u00e7ons qui avaient vu beaucoup d'\u00e9missions violentes \u00e9tant petits avaient \u00e0 trente ans un casier judiciaire beaucoup plus charg\u00e9 que les autres, sans que ces effets soient r\u00e9ductibles \u00e0 des facteurs sociaux autres. Pour quantifier cet effet \u00ab modeste \u00bb, les chercheurs ont indiqu\u00e9 qu'il est comparable \u00e0 celui qui relie la consommation de tabac au cancer du poumon. Ces faits \u00e9tablis ont obtenu le consensus de tous les experts des grandes associations de recherche. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"394358\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je le r\u00e9p\u00e8te avec insistance, il existe des effets, directs et indirects, de la consommation de spectacles t\u00e9l\u00e9vis\u00e9s. Demain, on ne pourra pas dire qu'on ne le savait pas! Aussi, j'invite cette Chambre \u00e0 faire preuve de bon sens et \u00e0 appuyer le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2162708\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-327/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts)\">C-327</a>. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2007/1/30/maka-kotto-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/156/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1517/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "1864295",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Broadcasting Act",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2007/1/30/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2007%2F1%2F30%2F"
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}