Sure; you have ten seconds.
Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was halifax.
Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was halifax.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister
Mr. Westcott, having experimented somewhat with bourbon, I can understand the popularity of Canadian rye whiskey.
2:15 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Spirits Canada / Association of Canadian Distillers
Thank you.
October 24th, 2006 / 2:15 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Thank you.
My colleagues wanted me to point out to Mr. Arseneau that the $1.4 million for affordable housing was C-48, which was passed by the Liberal government.
2:15 p.m.
Executive Director, New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association
I forgot to mention that.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Thank you.
I have two questions. One is to Mr. Gourlay. Not so long ago I was the minister responsible for Canada Post. At the time, as confirmed to my memory by your colleague in the room, I certainly didn't allow Canada Post to remove this magazine subsidy, because I don't think you can hide behind the commercial role of Canada Post; it's up to the government to set the social and policy context.
Is the government not supporting you, in terms of the PAP? Is the government simply allowing Canada Post to remove the subsidy? What is the situation?
2:20 p.m.
Affiliated Member, Magazines Canada
I don't believe, sir, that we know the answer to that question as yet. The minister certainly has voiced her support in recent days. It's a question of how this may manifest in the future.
The subsidy is also a strategy, and it's a strategy that has worked. I can tell you that in terms of our cultural media industry in Canada, with this great monolith to the south of us, magazines have the highest market share of all cultural media; it is 41%. By comparison, Canadian film has--
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
We don't have that much time.
What's the government doing, or what's the state of your consultation with the government? As you said, it's a very important issue to your industry.
2:20 p.m.
Affiliated Member, Magazines Canada
Minister Oda was saying that she supports the program; the question is how the government may interact with Canada Post in terms of its decision to withdraw its support for the program. How can we mitigate the $50 million that's about to disappear?
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Morley, my time in government leads me to be a decentralist in terms of public service, having seen how cost-effectively and how well government performs in such places as Charlottetown for Veterans Affairs Canada, and so on.
Is there a particular branch of the public service that you think would be well suited to Halifax? You said you were working on that subject.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
2:20 p.m.
Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Greater Halifax Partnership
Our interest is in attracting any organizations or capacities that make sense for us, given our business case and our value proposition. If we can demonstrate that we can do a good job and that we can do it cost-effectively, then we would go after anything.
Our competitive advantage, we feel, is in the area of defence, given the current concentration here.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister
Thank you, Mr. McCallum.
In the confines of the time we're allowed, I will have to reduce these last questioners to only two minutes, or a single question, if you would.
Mr. Dykstra, you can commence.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Okay. One question to Mr. Morley.
Given the Bloc's recent position with respect to Atlantic Canada about Halifax not being the gateway and that Montreal or Quebec should be the gateway to the Atlantic provinces, and the fact that we have one of the Liberal candidates running for leadership--Mr. Ignatieff's position made very clear on the weekend regarding Quebec--I wanted to give you the opportunity to comment on that and get your views, because you spoke very strongly about the focus that Atlantic Canada needs to play.
2:20 p.m.
Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Greater Halifax Partnership
Our interest is in serving the national interest. We simply happen to feel that Halifax represents an incredibly strong opportunity, not only for us but for all of Canada, to move freight, to move cargo through another avenue into our country and across North America.
We like the idea of competition in Halifax. We compete all the time. But we love the idea of a level playing field. Given a level playing field, we'll compete with anyone.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Thank you very much, Chair.
Mr. Morley, you mentioned the 2014 Commonwealth Games and our hope that Halifax will receive the international bid for them. The Commonwealth stadium would be located in my constituency, as you know, in Shannon Park. I think that would be very good for the area and would leave some infrastructure to be used, hopefully, for kids and adults to help to build a more healthy society.
My question to you is, what should be the federal contribution? What is the number we're looking for from the federal government, and how sure is it we would get it?
2:20 p.m.
Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Greater Halifax Partnership
I don't have a number to give you. I can say I would expect the number to be in the same ratio as it has been in other of these kinds of events, as they've been funded and proposed across the country, in Vancouver and in other places.
2:20 p.m.
Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Greater Halifax Partnership
My understanding of the Vancouver Olympics, for example, is that it's 50% federal and 50% local, provincially.
