Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 28th, 2013

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

I am deducing from your answer that no consultations are being held.

As for the fund for music....

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, while I understand and appreciate Mr. Dion's concern for unbundling and his wish to do some consultation, I would suggest that's a matter we could deal with at subcommittee. We would be happy to have a conversation about that. I'm not sure at all what it has to do with the supplementary estimates we're dealing with here this morning.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay.

Monsieur Dion, you have about 30 seconds left.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Madam Minister, I will ask you a question about the Canada Music Fund. We were both at the Gala de l'ADISQ, where you were invited to renew the fund, which will expire in March 2014. Would you commit to renewing it?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you for the question, as this is another important issue for me. We are holding discussions on that. It was really nice to see you at the Gala de l'ADISQ. You were very welcoming, and I want to thank you for that.

If that's okay with you, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the roadmap. Once again, the roadmap includes certain initiatives. It is introducing a new initiative entitled Music Showcases for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities. More investments will be required to support Canadian music and artists. I hope that initiative will help bands from back home such as Chic Gamine and Les Surveillants. So I'm very proud of what our government has set up in the roadmap.

As for the renewal of the Music Fund, discussions are ongoing, and we will soon find out what the decision is.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much, Minister.

We're going to move to Mr. Richards for seven minutes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, thanks for being here today. I listened to your opening remarks. It sounds as though you've been very busy since taking your new position as Minister of Canadian Heritage. Obviously, you've been doing some great things. Obviously, you have a department that is very important to helping Canadians shape our national identity and have pride in our country.

Obviously, you know we've been undertaking a study of our preparation for the Olympics. We've had a number of organizations, including sports organizations, here and we've heard over and over how our athletes and our great efforts, which we have seen at recent Olympics, inspire Canadians, particularly young Canadians, to be involved in sport. Obviously there is work being undertaken as we approach our 150th anniversary and there are other large milestones coming very soon. There's a lot of work for you to do, but you can see the fruits of those efforts in the pride we create in Canadians about being Canadian.

I think about some of the local organizations that your department has funded. In my riding specifically, the Airdrie Food Bank has a festival every year that raises money for those who go a little hungry, but it also promotes the arts while it's doing so with its Empty Bowls Arts Festival. I think about things like the Mountain View Music Fest and Airdrie's ARTember. I also think of course about the world-class Banff Centre in my riding with its arts and leadership training thanks to the funding that comes from the department for that.

I know you're proud to be a part of all those things. I appreciate your being here today.

But I would like to focus in on the subject matter at hand. Unlike some of the opposition members who have chosen to talk about future business in the committee or to bring forward notices of motion, I would really like to talk a little bit about some of the things in the supplementary estimates if I can. I'll just ask you a couple of questions in regard to that.

I notice the transfer from Indian Affairs and Northern Development to Canadian Heritage to promote public awareness and community participation in National Aboriginal Day activities. I wonder if you can tell me a little bit about what that transfer has enabled the department to do and what kinds of activities and things surround that.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you very much for the question.

I'm so glad you mentioned your Banff Centre, because it was amazing to visit that centre. They were very complimentary to this government for many years of support, and I know how hard you've worked to assist them. Aside from the Banff Centre, there's your mention of the food bank, God bless you, because they really do value how we feel about helping those who are vulnerable.

Continue doing the work you're doing. It's very important in your riding, and they appreciate it very much.

With regard to the estimates, that specific transfer is a huge and popular transfer, especially in my home province. Of course, I'm a Métis woman, so National Aboriginal Day on June 21 is something that we celebrate frequently.

We have expertise in the Department of Canadian Heritage. We do the Canada Day grants as well. As I said before to Monsieur Dion, we're very proud of the work that is done there, and that is why Aboriginal Affairs transfers these funds: because we're already able to and capable of providing the expertise to manage those requests.

Aboriginal Day is celebrated from coast to coast to coast by the first nations, by our Métis, and by our Inuit. It is a celebration that, again, honours their heritage and honours their culture, and I am just so very pleased that the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs allows us to take part in helping those communities to celebrate a very, very important day. They are the first people. They are Canada's first people, and they're worth celebrating. Their history is worth celebrating.

Thank you for asking the question. I appreciate it.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you.

Another transfer that I see here, from Foreign Affairs to Heritage, is to support the building of the National Holocaust Monument. Obviously that's something that's very important, and I'm proud to see that our government is undertaking it.

Who is responsible for building that? Is it Heritage responsible for building the monument? What is the transfer there facilitating?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Well, we've recently brought into our fold, into our Heritage family, the National Capital Commission. By working together, we will be able to be more efficient in putting on events and making sure that monuments like this one, which is so very important, are done in a collaborative way.

So yes, it is under Heritage Canada's purview, but I am working very, very closely with Minister Baird, who takes a very active interest in this monument. He had done an awful lot of work on it before the NCC was transferred to Heritage. I value his input and I continue to work with him and take his advice on this very important monument.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you.

I also notice a transfer from Foreign Affairs to the National Arts Centre Corporation in order to support their orchestra in a fall tour of China. Obviously that relationship is one that is an important relationship for our country, I think, in terms of trade and in terms of tourism.

Certainly, with Banff and Canmore in my riding, tourism is a key part of our economy. Since Prime Minister Harper was able to gain approved destination status for our country, we're seeing huge gains in that tourism volume from China, and it's only continuing to grow. I think it's important to do exchanges like the one that would be facilitated by that transfer.

I wonder if you can tell me a little more about that tour. Do you want to expand a bit on that and on its importance and maybe on any other activities that Heritage would be undertaking to try to encourage those kinds of activities?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

You bet.

This is an important aspect of the Conservative government's philosophy on trade. It's an important aspect because trade between our countries is essential. We are an exporting country and we must have trade relationships with other countries in order to survive, in order to increase the economic growth of our country.

I was very pleased to be at the launch when the orchestra put on a wonderful event at the National Arts Centre before they left for China. They were very excited. In fact, they had students from China who actually participated in the event, so the exchanges have already been taking place between our arts performers and, of course, performers in China.

China is a huge country that has literally billions and billions of dollars that we, as a trading nation, want to be able to access, and to access their consumers—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you, Minister.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Are we done?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

We're going to have to cut you off.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I could go on because it's a great question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

We're going to move to Ms. Mathyssen for five minutes.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Minister. I think you'll find that on this side of the House we're very intent on protecting and supporting Canadian arts and heritage.

I have a couple of questions.

The first is in relation to CBC. Canada's hockey night TV landscape changed quite significantly this week, with Rogers Communications’ getting control of the NHL multimedia rights, a 12-year $5.2 billion agreement that preserves Hockey Night in Canada but limits CBC's role in the broadcast.

According to the Friends of CBC, this will cost the national network about $200 million in advertising revenue each year. Because that advertising money goes a long way in supporting cultural and important identity broadcasting, how will you ensure the health of our national broadcaster and ensure that you support that other programming?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you, Ms. Mathyssen. It's a pleasure to see you here in committee.

First and foremost, I have to address the question because there is no such group called the Friends of CBC. In fact, when I met with Hubert Lacroix, he was very clear that there is a group out there but they are not called the Friends of CBC and are not the friends of CBC. In fact, Hubert Lacroix was quite insistent that they have, in fact, damaged the CBC's reputation and damaged their ability to move forward on the mandate they have, which takes them to 2015, so—

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Minister, but I'd like to know how we're going to support the other programming with this $200-million loss.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

That too is fictitious because no one has said that.

I don't know if you saw an article that is out today, in which the CBC's administration, the executive, including Hubert Lacroix the president and CEO, made statements about this deal, saying it is a good deal for Canadians.

Here is what Hubert Lacroix actually said, and I'm going to quote him—

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

I have seen the articles, and I am concerned about the lost revenues, but rather than quote from articles, perhaps we could go on and talk about the museums assistance program.

One thing I've taken note of is that the program is intended to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of events. This applies to the 2,600 museums, artist-run centres, aquaria, science centres, etc.

My concern, Minister, is that according to your website, the list of projects that will get MAP funding is very limited. It doesn't reflect that we have a wide variety of interests and communities across the country. My question is how will these very diverse museums be able to access MAP funding when it seems to be restricted to commemorative battles, conservative prime ministers, the Stanley Cup—a very small range of things when you look at the diversity of this country?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you.

I hope you're going to let me answer when you ask me a question. I would like to say that I find it unfair. It is my first time and perhaps we're getting off on the wrong foot, Ms. Mathyssen, but in all fairness, when you make a statement that is simply not true, I think it's imperative, as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, that I correct the record.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Well, thank you very much.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Please allow me to correct the record first and foremost because you did ask a question that was not true. You also cited an organization that does not exist. Hubert Lacroix said the following: it is “the right outcome for Canadian hockey fans”. That's what he said about this deal. The executive of CBC has said there is no $200 million, a number being quoted by people who choose to invent numbers. I just wanted to say that.

Now onto museums. I'm very proud that this government was one of the only governments that did not touch museums during a very difficult global recession. So thank you for asking the question because we are very proud of our museums. They are about our Canadian history and our identity. We have in fact invested $142 million more since 2006 into our national museums. We value the stories they tell. We value the collections they house. We have also created two new national museums, including one in my home province, in my home city in fact across the river from my riding, the Human Rights Museum, and of course, we also have in Halifax Pier 21, the museum that will talk about immigration and celebrate the very important immigration aspects.

It was Canadian Museums Day just the other day. I met with a number of people in the field of museums. They're very pleased with some of the changes this government has put forward, including the investments we've made. In particular, they were very happy that we changed the travelling exhibitions program. There was a time under other governments where if a museum wanted to share exhibits, if they wanted to bring other exhibits into their museum, it could only be done if the exhibits went out of province. We have changed that recently—