There are perhaps two parts to your question, so perhaps two parts to my answer.
Strategic review, along with other mechanisms in place to review government spending, like evaluations, audits, and periodic renewals of our programs at Treasury Board, is the method this government has chosen to ensure proper and effective spending of taxpayers' dollars. Other governments have chosen other means. We went through strategic reviews in 1995 and 2005. Different governments approach it different ways.
In this strategic review exercise, as I said, we were asked to look at every program in the department. Even though we were asked to identify the lowest performing or lowest priority 5%, every single program was examined. Every one of our three pillars under the PAA, sport, identity, and culture, was looked at. Treasury Board asked us to have a person from the private sector on our committee, which we did. We had a principal from Deloitte & Touche, who helped us review every one of our programs.
In the end, choices are made by the duly elected government of the day as to which programs will be affected, to what extent, and when. We understand the consequences of those choices can be difficult for groups and organizations that have benefited from them in the past. However, the fundamental relationship of confidence between us, as public servants, and our ministers means that our advice to our ministers must remain confidential. It has been ever thus, and I suppose it will be ever thus.
In terms of the strategic review, if I could just take a moment for that, as you know, it was roughly $45 million that resulted in decisions of the strategic review. That is roughly 3.4% of the department's budget, not the full 5%. Choices were made to not go for a full 5% with respect to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Of course one might take issue, as I think Mr. Angus did, with the selection of what might have been reallocated or reinvested into the department, be it money for the torch relay, for summer sport, or for the official languages road map, which I think comes in at a total of about seventy-some million--I forget the number--but over a number of years. I think the torch relay and summer sport are two-year investments, and then the road map is a bit longer.
Even that's not the end of the story, because since then we've received $30 million for festivals. We've just received a top-up in the last budget for the cultural spaces program of $30 million a year for two years, which will be direct investments. That last one is part of the stimulus package.
It's very hard to compare apples and oranges. I understand that is frustrating for honourable members, but there is a larger story.