Evidence of meeting #114 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 creators.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you.
Obviously, no one doubts the qualifications of the people on the panel.
I would like to ask you one thing. Would it be possible for your answers to be roughly the same length as the questions? I would appreciate that because I obviously don't want to exhaust my speaking time with you, particularly since it's only seven minutes.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
Mr. Trudel, in my opinion, what's important is to provide as much information as possible—
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
It's nice of you to call me Mr. Trudel because he's a major telecommunications expert.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
—so my colleagues and everyone around the table can really get a complete picture of the situation.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
That's perfect.
Thank you very much, Minister.
I think we've recently heard you talk enough about that.
However, I want to tell you I find it absolutely pathetic that you're holding the cultural sector hostage. Earlier you mentioned the demonstrations organized against the Conservatives in 2008. You're right. At the time, they were hoping for an emergency exit from culture, from both the NDP and the Liberal party. Today, they know very well that you've very clearly heard what the CRTC told you, at least I hope so. The CRTC very clearly relayed the information that the entire cultural and Canadian content sector had transmitted. Today, you know what has to be done, but you have the petty audacity to postpone any form of action until after your election. That's Machiavellian, Minister.
NDP
NDP
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
I'd like to talk about that.
Mr. Nantel, I think you have rose-coloured glasses.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
When I speak to sector stakeholders, I realize there is some impatience there. I'm impatient too. However, unlike your party, they acknowledge that we had a very good election platform on cultural reinvestment.
Liberal
Mélanie Joly Liberal Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC
We've invested $3.2 billion. We doubled the funding for the Canada Council for the Arts, and we reinvested in CBC/Radio-Canada.
Liberal
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Please, Minister, stop the spiel. Stop telling us about CBC/Radio-Canada and platforms.
Liberal
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Really, Minister, you're back at it with your political speech.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
You are a politician first and, then, a minister. That's what's unfortunate for culture.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I must interrupt you for a moment.
We have to hear what you have to say, whether it's the witness or the person who's asking the questions.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Of course, Madam Chair. I understand.
Minister, you wrote a book entitled Changing the Rules of the Game. In April 2016, you told Daniel Leblanc, a journalist with the Global and Mail: "I think the current model is broken...For a long time, politicians have been afraid to deal with these difficult issues, but I don't understand why it wasn't done."
Do you agree that you are now one of a long list of people who won't be making the changes?
