Mr. Rodriguez.
Evidence of meeting #2 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #2 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Minister, I would like to come back to the budget cuts. I know that this is something you are working very hard on. However, you have not succeeded in convincing us; in any case you have not convinced me.
We have asked specific questions on the issue and have requested justifications, but we are told that those are confidential documents that cannot be made public.
Moreover, stakeholders have told us that the programs were functioning properly, they filled a need and assisted our artists abroad. The stakeholders have informed us that those cuts will lead to the cancellation of a number of tours. For the coming year, they are talking about having to cancel approximately 59% or 60% of tours, and as much as 90% over the next two years. Losses of revenue owing to the cancellation of those tours are estimated at approximately $24 million. Many jobs will be lost. What is at stake is the credibility of our artists, industry and country.
I would like to believe you, but you are not giving me any proof. There is nothing concrete, neither study nor analysis. We are not given access to those documents. The only thing we heard when the cuts were announced came from Conservative Party supporters who said that people were using the money to go to Cuba or to present a documentary film at a gay festival. It was said, for example, that a left-wing writer would receive money. However, as far as I know, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet does not take its orders from Castro. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Grands Ballets canadiens are well established organizations. They cannot be characterized as communist followers of the Che and Fidel.
If you cannot justify those cuts, isn't it because the decision to do so was ideological and because you do not like to control part of the people who represent us abroad?
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Well then, prove it.
She wants the documents. We want to see them.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
As the deputy minister said, the decision made by my predecessor--I think my honourable colleague understands the concept of cabinet confidence in some of these decisions. I'm prepared to go through each one of the decisions that constitutes the full $45 million of this strategic review. I went through half the list with Dean Del Mastro; I went through part of the list with Madame Lavallée. I can go through every single penny of it. I'd be more than glad to right here, if the time permits.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I've already gone through half the list. I'm prepared to continue. These decisions were made in the best interest of taxpayers, they absolutely were. I have no doubt there were those who were receiving money under the old Trade Routes program who certainly benefited from this, but the responsibility of the government is to ensure all these dollars are being spent in a way that's beneficial to all Canadians, including artists.
Why in the world would anybody defend a program that cost $5 million to deliver $2 million worth of benefits? That level of exchange is not acceptable. So we took those dollars and reinvested into other arts and cultural programs. This year about $22 million is going to support our artists internationally. I will continue as Minister of Canadian Heritage to work with these groups affected by the changes made in the past to ensure their needs are taken care of in the future. I will certainly do my best to do that, but it is simply not defensible.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
They're saying you were wrong to cut, that they want it back.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Yes, and as I meet with more and more Canadians, they realize that when people say we cut $45 million, they are wrong; $45 million did not go to reinstate antennas that nobody was using or to re-establish websites that nobody was using. That money went to the Canada Council. We didn't continue a program that had $5 million in costs for $2 million worth of benefits because I think Canadians, in times like these, when taxpayer dollars are quite precious, recognize that's a level of exchange that's not acceptable.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, for being here and making yourself available to all of us. We really appreciate it from the bottoms of our hearts.
I was very pleased to hear you reference in your speech the Olympics and Paralympics. On the surface, most casual spectators may look to the Olympics as a sporting event where the primary goal is winning bronze, silver, or gold medals, but it is really about much more than that, isn't it? It's about bringing communities and nations together through national pride.
Could you please elaborate on some of the work that our government has undertaken with regard to the Olympics and Paralympics?
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Sure.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games will benefit all Canadians. I remember back when we won the Olympic bid. There was incredible enthusiasm in the Vancouver area, where I'm from. There was a lot of enthusiasm in British Columbia. My sense has been that this enthusiasm hasn't been spread across the country, although it's coming up bit by bit. I think what Canadians need to recognize is that these are Canada's games. You have the Torino games, the Athens games, the Atlanta games, Salt Lake City games, but we want them to be Canada's games. Two thirds of the athletes for the 2010 games will come from the province of Quebec. It is in the interests of Quebec that the federal government have a strong role in the 2010 games.
That's why we've made investments—for example, $55 million, as I described in my opening, for the Own the Podium program. We've invested $24.5 million for the torch relay. As I said, the torch relay criss-crosses 45,000 kilometres of the country. I think 85% or 90% of Canadians will be within a one-hour to 90-minute drive of the torch at some point along the route.
I'm dating myself here, but I remember when Rick Hansen came to my community when he was doing his tour. I can't remember what grade I was in, but I was really young. I thought how amazing, incredible, and inspirational that was.
We want to make sure that all Canadians feel part of the 2010 games, and the torch relay is a part of that. So we passed the money in the budget last year, $24.5 million for the relay, which will involve francophone communities outside of the province of Quebec. We will ensure that there are artistic celebrations throughout the torch relay, which will go across this country. It's going to be a fantastic event. We're also spending over $34 million towards legacies for first nations.
We really want the 2010 Olympics to be Canada's games, and we want it to be about bringing people together. Frankly, I can't think of a better time than now, when we have a lot of divisions in this country about the economy and people thinking very much about their family and the impact of the economy on their community and on their province and maybe their region. I think it's time we have these grand projects that unite us all as a country. If you look at the 2010 games and what we've been able to accomplish around those, the four host first nations are involved, enthusiastic, and proud to be hosting the 2010 games. We have support from municipal government for the building of the venues. We have incredible infrastructure projects. We are all working together, municipally, federally, provincially, and first nations, pulling on the same rope to host this incredible opportunity.
In a year's time—a year from this week, I think—when we have those opening ceremonies at B.C. Place stadium, 3.2 billion people around the world will turn their eyes to Canada. As a proud British Columbian, looking at Canada through the lens of British Columbia and across, I think it's going to be a fantastic event for the country.
We've made investments into infrastructure for delivery of services. We have the opening ceremonies, the torch relay, first nations, the Cultural Olympiad. This is going to be a great project for the country.
Do you want to add something?
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
I'd just add that this is the first time ever that venues are ready so far in advance of a game. It will give, we hope, our athletes a tremendous advantage as they use these facilities this winter and in the lead into the Olympics next year, so we're particularly pleased about that. All the venues are now open, operational, and being used by athletes.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
No, I think we're pretty well to the point and we have shared that time. The time is up.
I must thank the minister very much and his support staff. It's always great to have our deputy ministers here and people who come along from Canadian Heritage. So again, thank you very much.
We'll take a five-minute recess and then we'll reconvene.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
If we could reconvene that would be great.
Our committee business, as we move on to the second part of our meeting today, is a motion from Madame Lavallée: That the committee discuss the recent elimination of federal government funding programs for arts and culture, and that the committee hold meetings on the recent elimination of federal government funding programs for arts and culture, and that the members of the committee send the committee clerk a list of witnesses no later than Friday, February 6, at noon.
I know we haven't discussed the motion yet, but the clerk has received those two lists of witnesses. There are two lists, one from the Liberals and one from the Bloc.
Madame Lavallée, would you like to have a couple of minutes to speak to your motion?
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Chair, I want to make sure I have understood. We are currently discussing how to implement the motion. According to the information that I obtained from the clerk following last Monday's meeting, we had agreed to adopt the motion.
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I then checked with the clerk's office. Emails were exchanged with the clerk's assistant, and I again received confirmation that the motion had been adopted.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
No, it was not adopted, but I said that we could go ahead and get the witness list. I suggested that we get that list, so that when we adopted the motion, we could go forward from there. The clerk can confirm that. There was no adoption of the motion, but when we talked after the meeting, I think there was a suggestion that we would need to have a witness list. We have received those witness lists.
Today we will now decide how many meetings we will have and how we will go forward with your motion. We have to adopt your motion first, so the motion is put before the committee.
If you don't want to speak to the motion—
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
