Evidence of meeting #108 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Kate Cornell  Co-Chair, Canadian Arts Coalition
Julia Ouellette  Chair, Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Michael MacPherson

May 8th, 2018 / 9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC

What is the motion?

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Do you want me to read it again?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

That's what I was trying to understand.

Did you ask to go in camera?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Richard Hébert Liberal Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

No, I said that the matter was closed.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

The debate is closed, right.

We were talking to each other to be sure we understood what you said.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Do you want me to read the motion again?

As far as I know, a request to go in camera wasn't made.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

Are you moving that now?

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

That's too bad. I think it's in the public's interest to know what we think.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

He just moved it.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

In the middle of our hearing the witnesses?

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Why not?

We do have extended time for committee business, so we can extend the witness time too.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

Is there any further debate?

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

I will simply say that this motion looks to have us as parliamentarians micromanaging the day-to-day affairs and decisions of curators and other officials running a national museum, including the board of trustees, whose chair you are asking to attend. I can imagine what life would be like for them if we did this all the time on all sorts of things.

I think the role of government is to hire the officials to do that work. We do have an opportunity when they are appointed to have them in to assess them. I have seen nothing to suggest that in making the decision, they did not follow their policy on de-accessioning. I have heard nothing to suggest that their policies are severely wanting. I do not think it's appropriate for us to be backseat driving and micromanaging the day-to-day operations of any of Canada's national museums.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

Mr. Hogg.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC

I agree, and I therefore move that we adjourn debate. I think we haven't finished with our questioning, and I think we should adjourn this debate.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

We'll vote on its being adjourned.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Can we have a recorded vote, please?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

All right.

9:30 a.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Michael MacPherson

The motion is that the debate be now adjourned.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

We can continue.

Mr. Nantel, you have now used eight minutes of your time.

9:35 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

I would like to hear from our witnesses about the idea that the executive committee needs to have more say than the board in terms of the delegation of authority beyond the board of directors.

Have you noticed that the board of directors may have ambitions that are not monitored administratively by the different cultural organizations you are familiar with?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin

Since you have already used your eight minutes, we must now continue with the next member.

We are moving on to Ms. Dhillon.

9:35 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

I understand.

9:35 a.m.

Co-Chair, Canadian Arts Coalition

Kate Cornell

That's such a good question.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Anju Dhillon Liberal Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC

Thank you to our witnesses for being here. Your testimony was very interesting.

Ms. Cornell, you shed a spotlight on this issue—no pun intended. We see a recurring theme with other witnesses who have testified before us. They said the same thing, that when it comes to senior management positions, women are just not there. You testified in a way that showed us gender roles exist even in the arts sector. You said that 84% of dancers are women, whereas the directors are mostly male. Have you or the coalition done anything to proactively counter this?