Evidence of meeting #117 for Finance in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ontario.
10:15 a.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Paré, last week, the big ADISQ Gala event for all Quebec artists, was held. We had some wonderful performances by notables like Ginette Reno, and a young rapper. It was wonderful. We've been able to build that over the years, thanks in part to the Canada Music Fund and Musicaction.
Can you tell us about the industry you've managed to create?
10:15 a.m.
Executive Director, Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo
Well, I'll begin by pointing out that 95% of francophone music is put out by independent companies. It's really a distinctive market that is completely different from anywhere else on the planet.
The industry structure grew over several decades from the early 1980s onward. Musicaction provided support for the industry, making it possible to build a very stable star system in the francophone marketplace. Examples include established artists like Ginette Reno, or emerging artists like the indigenous artist Kanen, who already has two awards to her credit. It's a tool that definitely helped the industry develop into a strong star system.
We've reached a turning point. The current media crisis is obvious, and the music sector is being affected too. More than ever, we need government support to keep our music alive and have it resonate, for our parents and our children.
10:15 a.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you very much.
As my colleague Ms. Dzerowicz said, it's important to support culture if we want to preserve our identity.
From the financial standpoint, the industry generates money for the government.
10:15 a.m.
Executive Director, Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo
Absolutely.
I don't have the economic impact studies in front of me, but this industry is extremely important in the regions. You hear about access to culture in the regions and organizing tours to certain regions where it makes no sense from an economic standpoint. Through these contributions, exports give exposure to our music in other countries. Musicaction supports initiatives and events that showcase our artists abroad.
According to the 2021 annual report, about 500 songwriters and composers received support from Musicaction. So it's not just the companies that benefit, but rather the entire ecosystem.
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you, Mr. Ste-Marie.
Please feel free to submit to the committee any of those numbers in terms of economic impact. That would be great.
Now we'll go to MP Green.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you.
Ms. Livingstone, as city manager, I'm going to put a series of questions to you rather quickly. I'm going to ask you to answer them as directly as you possibly can.
You heard the assessment around property tax. What is London's proposed property tax increase for next year?
10:20 a.m.
City Manager, City of London
We do a multi-year budget at the City of London. We're one of the few communities.... We've not yet released it, so I'm not in a position to share it with you.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
In Hamilton they're talking about double digits. Is it safe to say that, coming out of COVID, the downloading of responsibilities from successive provincial and federal governments has led to an untenable property tax position for the City of London?
10:20 a.m.
City Manager, City of London
I would agree that it has put significant pressures on our tax base. We don't have the tools.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
You spoke a bit about operating funds for housing. I was a former treasurer of city housing for Hamilton, and I would put it to you that, in fact, capital funding is also very important. Could you talk a bit, to the best of your ability, about the deferred maintenance of the City of London's social housing stock?
10:20 a.m.
City Manager, City of London
It's significant with Middlesex and London community housing. However, in our last multi-year budget, the city council of the day invested significant funds in the deferred maintenance component, and we built it in going forward.
What we also need assistance with, though, is the building of new, highly supportive housing.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
You'll recall that the CMHC in the seventies and eighties—in fact, coming out of World War II—built a tremendous amount of housing stock, and then social housing stock. That was downloaded to the provinces, and provinces then downloaded to municipalities.
Is it safe to say, 30 or 40 years later, that housing stock is also at the end of its capital life cycle?
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Do you have any idea of what that capital deferred investment looks like globally in your budget?
10:20 a.m.
City Manager, City of London
Again, I would say we began planning for it in our last multi-year budget, so we're not new to it.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Sure, but you certainly couldn't catch up in four years for maintenance. Is that right?
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay. That's good.
Around affordability, particularly, would you agree with the assessment that the average market rate is not a way to predict affordability within the municipality of London?
10:20 a.m.
City Manager, City of London
I would agree with the answer that was provided earlier.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you agree that inclusionary zoning ought to have affordability landmarked against people's ability to pay, and not the average market rent?