Debates of June 19th, 1995

Bill Blaikie Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, the New Democratic Party votes yes on concurrence at report stage.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Jane Stewart Brant, ON

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request that you take the vote just taken and apply it to the motion for third reading.

Don Boudria Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Agreed.

Gilles Duceppe Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Agreed.

Douglas Young Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have paid close attention to the number of votes taken tonight with members of the House participating and I want to check with the Chair to see if we could be informed why the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada has not participated in the voting tonight.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Paul Crête Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC

Mr. Speaker, on May 5, 1995, I put a question to the Minister of Canadian Heritage about budget cuts affecting a program designed to subsidize the distribution of magazines and publications. At the time the minister told me he would check with his officials and find out how effective the cuts were.

However, I may recall for the benefit of the minister that cutting a job in the cultural sector has a more significant impact than it would in other sectors. For instance, it is said it costs about $20,000 to create a job in the cultural sector. Reducing subsidies for magazines and publications would have a far more significant impact in terms of jobs lost than similar cuts in other sectors.

The cultural sector is very sensitive to reductions in subsidies. In the current context it is clear the government must make cuts. However, one always wonders whether the cuts are appropriate and if it would have been possible to avoid them by raising additional taxes in some way, to avoid having to cut this kind of program.

In this particular case the current government's decision is not one with which we can feel comfortable, considering the impact this decision will have on cultural industries. Furthermore, this decision adversely affects the dissemination of Canadian and Quebec culture. The publications and magazines that receive these subsidies tend to have a fairly low circulation and may as a result of this decision be forced to stop publishing, which is a far more drastic impact than what the minister had in mind.

I would like to know whether since my question was put, the government received additional information it could use to analyse the situation or perhaps find alternatives so that the cultural sector would not be penalized by the government's decision.