Canadian Heritage Committee on May 15th, 2014

[Colleen Swords]

Thanks very much for the question. Obviously, any time we host a major sporting event, there are benefits for our young people, who see these wonderful athletes and are inspired by them. So I think it always has that spill-over effect for our young athletes.

Overall, the government is providing $500 million, spread over a number of years, so there are variations from year to year in what we're funding. I'm going to ask our chief financial officer to explain the details of exactly where that $500 million is going and how much of that relates to this year.

[Robert Hertzog, Director General, Financial Management Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage]

Thank you.

As noted earlier, a total of $500 million is being provided by the Government of Canada for the Pan Am Games. Of that $500 million, $377.1 million is for sport infrastructure, so when you see an increase in the budget of $71.6 million, essentially the amount being provided for infrastructure is increasing in 2014–15, and the amount in 2014–15 will be $189.8 million for infrastructure. So in our total main estimates, in our vote 5, $189.8 million is for infrastructure for the Pan Am Games.

In addition, $65 million is included in the total $500 million Government of Canada contribution for legacy funding to help support the installations once the games have taken place. The facilities can then be used on an ongoing basis afterwards to support athletes, and to support community use of those facilities as well. The Government of Canada, in its $500 million, is also providing $48.9 million for essential support services that will be provided during the games themselves.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Following the Vancouver Olympic Games, we learned that it was very important to have funding to maintain infrastructure after the event.

What percentage of all the funding invested in the games will be spent by the Department of Canadian Heritage?

[Colleen Swords]

If you mean which amount is for our department, Patrimoine canadien, it's $500 million out of our department for the full period. The games themselves, of course, cost more. Funding is being provided by the provincial government, for example, and the City of Toronto, and that doesn't include security costs, I believe. That might be additional.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

All right, thank you.

I am thinking of the future and of our 150^th anniversary. The minister said she thought the emphasis would be on sport and heritage and that would be reflected in this celebration. Can you elaborate on that subject?

Can you give us any information on the subject and tell us how it will all take place? What is the connection between our investments and this anniversary?

[Colleen Swords]

The detailed planning for all that we might do on the road to 2017 is not finalized yet. There are certain events in the road up to 2017 that we know of, and we're still gathering ideas, of which there are very many, for how best one could celebrate.

In the road to 2017, though, there are a number of important sports events that Canadians will have an opportunity to experience and watch. Some events are taking place in their own communities. For example, the under-20 women's soccer world cup is going on in parts of Canada. I believe it's this year. That's one example of a major sporting event that will showcase Canada for the world and for a lot of young people.

As with any major celebration, we will want to identify ways in which communities can express their pride and their sense of Canada's history and Canada's future. Clearly, after we've seen in the Olympics, and I hope as we'll see in the Pan Am Games, that pride will be on display once again, and there will be opportunities for communities to identify projects that tie in with 2017, but that are also related to sport. One of them would be the Trans Canada Trail. That's very important, I think, for people's sense of how you can keep fit, but at the same time enjoy Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much.

I hand the floor over to Mr. Nantel for five minutes.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, madam, sir. Thank you once again for being with us.

I have tried to get some answers on the subject of the absence of the CRTC board member from Quebec. Perhaps no announcement has been made yet, but maybe there has been some been progress on the matter.

This has dragged on for 10 months, nearly a year. Has any progress been made in the search for a candidate to represent Quebec? Television clearly plays a crucial role in Quebec. We hear that in every debate, about Radio-Canada or any other cultural issue.

How can we do without that viewpoint for such a long time? Has any progress been made?

[Colleen Swords]

Mr. Nantel, some progress has been made, but perhaps not enough for everyone here.

We have made progress. Selecting somebody for boards is not something that's done in a week. There is a selection process. Interviews did take place late last year. Then reference checks have to be identified. In some cases—I'm not saying in this one, but in some cases—you discover that there's a potential conflict, so you have to decide whether you're going to start the process over again or see if there are ways to resolve conflicts. I'm not saying that's the case here; I'm just talking in general terms.

We are very much aware of the need to ensure that the CRTC has its board well-staffed, and we are working hard to make sure that happens.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Thank you.

The appointment to Library and Archives Canada is very good news. It was a long time coming, but it has pleased people in the archival community.

As for the CRTC, can we hope for an outcome soon since this is a major concern for television people, particularly in Quebec? Can we expect a development soon?

[Colleen Swords]

All I can say is that we're working hard and we're doing everything we can to get the necessary decision. It is a Governor in Council appointment, so it's something that involves not just the public service, but also the government.

We and the government are working hard, and we hope that there will be a decision in due course.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Thank you.

I hand the floor over to my colleague Mr. Stewart.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Thank you.

Welcome today, through the chair.

I have some more questions about CBC. We talk about current funding, and then past funding, but it's a bit confusing sometimes because it's not adjusted for inflation. What I'm interested in is long-term funding for the CBC. What percentage over the long term is provided by the government and what has been brought in as revenue?

Say since the 1970s, the proportion of money that the CBC has received, have they received a larger or smaller of their overall operating budget from the government?

If you can't provide that today, it should be a fairly simple thing to compile. If you can submit that to us, that would be great.

[Colleen Swords]

Thanks for the question.

I have the figures for 2014-15, the amount received from the government and the amount normally received from their own-source revenues. I don't have the figures going back.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

I'm interested in proportions, though, because it gets really confusing when you don't adjust for inflation. This government frequently does that.

[Colleen Swords]

For 2014-15, though, the appropriation from the federal government is over $1 billion, and the revenue expected in 2014-2015 is $670 million. So the CBC obtains a fair proportion of own-source revenues.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

But you wouldn't have the exact proportion?

[Colleen Swords]

That's the proportion for 2014-15.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Right, those are the figures, but the percentage that's provided by the government.

[Colleen Swords]

I'm not great at math, but $1 billion out of $1.6 billion is provided by the government.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Okay.

Going back a decade, would you say that's a larger or smaller proportion?

[Colleen Swords]

That we would have to get back to you on, because I don't have the figures here.

With respect to inflation, though, I would say that there was money provided to a number of the crown corporations for inflation related to salary in years past. We'll get you those figures as well. There was some adjustments for inflation.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Sure.

But would it be fair to say that the government provided the lion's share of revenue for CBC in the early years, and now it's relying more on private sector funding in current years?

[Colleen Swords]

I don't have those figures in front of me, so we'll have to get back to you with them.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

But no guess...?