MONTRÉAL—CBC/Radio-Canada is a key actor in Canadian society and the Conservative government shouldn’t blindly slash their budget without taking into consideration the needs of communities, New Democrat Leader Nycole Turmel said during her visit to Montreal today.

“A 10 percent budget reduction means that CBC/Radio-Canada’s funding would be slashed by more than 100 million dollars per year,” Turmel said. “Some Conservative members wanted to cut the budget by 20 percent”

The NDP recognizes the importance of CBC/Radio-Canada for Canadian communities, including those in remote areas and minority language communities.

“The Conservatives are about to butcher a national cultural jewel and that’s worrisome. Quebec culture won’t be the same without CBC/Radio-Canada. And many communities located outside major centres, who count on the crown corporation for news and entertainment, risk seeing their public service deteriorate,” Deputy Heritage Critic Pierre Nantel (Longueuil-Pierre-Boucher) added.

“In 2011, Quebecers set the wheel of change in motion and don’t want to now go back to the old debates and the old scandals. By working together, we’ll replace the Conservatives in 2015 and build a better future for Quebec families”, concluded Turmel.