Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. We fully believe museums should not depend on the federal government or the provinces, on any one source. They're much better off when they have a broad, diversified sense of support and they start developing endowments and long-term supports. You can help us a great deal there.

Canadian Heritage committee  No and yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think the profession should run it. Some of the provinces have accreditation programs, such as Quebec and...oh, Ontario has standards, but--

Canadian Heritage committee  No, there wouldn't be a shrinkage in the number, but not all of them would be accredited, because many museums are at various standards. Many of them need to be updated very badly. We know that. They don't have the right facilities and so on. Our interest, as a professional organization, is to see them advance, to look and be better, be better in their public presentation but also be better with their professional standards behind the scenes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, we've alerted them to it in our brief. We put bulletins out; we did one within hours of the federal budget's announcement.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's actually very straightforward. It's very simple, it's a wonderful thing, and we're very pleased with that initiative. In fact, there are some excellent tax incentives already in place. The challenge for the museum community, as somebody mentioned earlier, is that most of the small museums do not have the ability, do not have the expertise, in terms of fundraising.

Canadian Heritage committee  From the perspective of the museum community, I think the chances are the same. Our needs have not changed from one government to another. Our needs are constant, and we've stated what they are to you. I do also want to say, though, that we've had very close relationships with the minister, both in her life in opposition and now as minister.

Canadian Heritage committee  We have met with her. She is very committed. She is very interested in it. She has encouraged us. She has asked us some questions, and we've responded to those questions. I think she is very much on side, but she needs a little time to study the file, to be comfortable with it.

Canadian Heritage committee  Let me respond in a non-hypothetical way. That is, if we don't see an increased investment and a new policy orientation and we're appearing before you in another year or two, we're probably going to tell you about more museums that have closed. We've had about half a dozen or more that have closed--le Musée d'art INUIT Brousseau, in Quebec; a museum in Nova Scotia; museums in British Columbia and in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's what we've requested.

Canadian Heritage committee  We're a very modest organization.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Of course, the federal government does fund the very excellent national museums—

Canadian Heritage committee  —here in Ottawa, and the provincial governments generally have their provincial institutions. Culture, as you know, is not an area that is defined in the BNA Act. It's an area of jurisdiction for both. The provinces were consulted on this museum policy and unanimously approved it last September.