Canadian Heritage Committee on March 9th, 2009

[Jean Hamel]

We were receiving about $150,000 a year from this new media fund. In fact, there was an announcement today that the new media fund will be merged with the Canadian Television Fund, and we will not be able to have money from the new fund created by this merger because it will be allocated to the production of television shows and series. It will not fund other types of projects anymore. That means the $900,000 we were receiving from the training program in film and video must be added now to the $150,000 coming from the new media fund, so we've now reached a cut of over $1 million.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

My next question is to Madam Brouillé.

I understand you represent the largest organization of arts presenters in Quebec. Our notes indicate that you're very dependent on touring and international markets. What effect will the loss of the export touring funds have on your organization?

[Colette Brouillé]

The market which we organize allows us to provide programming to presenters in Quebec and Canada, and also to send artists abroad through the invitations we send out to foreign presenters. This year, we will run a deficit because the PromArt cuts were announced when it was already too late for us to change our plans. It was a grant of $12,000. As regards the loss of both Trade Routes and PromArt, I can tell you that that money represents almost 50 per cent of the public funding for the international component of our programming, the other 50 per cent being provided by the Government of Quebec. So, that greatly compromises the existence of even the international component of the Bourse RIDEAU.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Monsieur Péan, speaking for book publishers, can you please tell us about the impacts you expect will be felt by your industry from losing programs that support the export of products? In particular, I understand that government has paid travel costs for authors. What impact will any reduction in funding for that particular program have on building your domestic industry?

I apologize if you've covered that before, but I would like to hear your answers to those questions.

[Stanley Péan]

A little earlier, I was pointing out that, for a modest amount of money, these programs facilitate travel by writers—in the case of PromArt—concurrently with other provincial government programs. Publishers assume the financial risks of taking writers abroad, but will now have to find new sources of funding if they wish to continue to do so. Not every part of the industry has succeeded in achieving increased recognition for writers in recent years. However, those that have have done it brilliantly. Are we prepared to sacrifice the future Gil Courtemanches, Yves Beauchemins or Gaétan Soucys? That is the question we must ask ourselves if we are no longer able to ensure international outreach and promotion of writers' work and the writers themselves abroad.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you very much.

I thank our witnesses here today for coming and giving us their thoughts. I very much appreciate the effort you've put into this meeting today. Thank you for the questions, and thank you for the answers.

Mr. Simms.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Chair, I'm putting in a notice of motion. Will that be all right for Wednesday's voting?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

It will be okay for Wednesday, yes.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Okay. I just wanted to know.

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

The meeting is adjourned.