Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Having met this morning with some of the leading arts organizations in Toronto, I want to reiterate how devastating the artist organizations and individual artists are saying these cuts are for the arts in Canada. That's the clear message the arts organizations have given to me. These cuts are devastating for them. These cuts are attacking the launch pad for many artists, directors, producers, and writers. It will hobble their production, and they will not be able to continue with their work.
I'm told that a U.S. film production, for example, will spend a third of its money on the actual production, a third on marketing, and a third on distribution and promotion. You can't have one without the other two. If you make something, you have to market, promote, and distribute it. That's what in many cases is being attacked here.
For example, I know of a festival in Toronto every year that is extremely popular: the Contact Photography Festival. Photographers will continue to take photographs, but they won't be able to get them to the public through this kind of festival without the funding they have been receiving. They won't be able to sell their work. They won't be able to continue.
The other message they conveyed to me was a clear lack of trust in the process, that these cuts were made in a secretive way without consultation, without justification. It has left them mistrustful, fearful, and apprehensive about what might be coming in the future. There is real concern that this government might be picking and choosing which artists they're supporting. I suggest that in a democracy that's a very dangerous situation. The Prime Minister should not be the one to decide which artists' voices get heard. That's not appropriate, and it is not the kind of authority we want our government to have.
Based on all the reactions that have been heard in public and today at this committee, I want to say as clearly as I can that we should have hearings to review this process and that the hearings should be held as quickly as possible. I think September 2, right after Labour Day, would be an appropriate time. Let's not waste time. Let's get at it right away.
Others have suggested that the relevant ministers and department staff be invited so they can clarify the determinant in the cuts they made, so there can be an examination of the process they undertook. Then, clearly what we need to do is hear from the artists themselves and the arts organizations. There needs to be a full public review and a transparent process. Until that happens, there should be no cuts. There should be a moratorium on any cuts to these programs.
I think the first thing that should come out of this meeting is these hearings. I think the second thing that should come out of this meeting today is a clear indication, from every parliamentarian on this committee, that we stand with artists, that we value their work. They're an important part of our country and our democracy, and we value their work. We appreciate their work. We need to work to restore the trust that has been broken, and the way that trust will be restored is by the establishment of a clear arm's-length process for arts funding. I hope we can come out of this meeting today with those two measures adopted—immediate hearings together with a reaffirmation of our support for the arts. I'm talking about all arts, a full democratic process for support of the arts.