Thank you, Minister.
I've bragged about this directly to you before. Celebration Square is in my riding, very firmly in the middle. It's a beautiful opportunity for people to come together to celebrate the incredible diversity in our country. In my community, cultural policy drives employment. It drives creative industry growth, tourism, and small business development.
I want to latch on to something you said early on, this idea of reflecting the beauty that is this country. Cultural policy is often both celebrated and, at times, scrutinized. At a time when many Canadians are focused on affordability and fiscal responsibility, rightly so, there is heightened sensitivity around public spending.
How do you respond to concerns that cultural spending is disconnected from everyday realities, or that there are bigger concerns or bigger priorities than festivals at Celebration Square, for instance?