Evidence of meeting #24 for Finance in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crtc.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
Yes. People are allowed to sue in Canada.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Absolutely. It actually hasn't gone forward in any way, but there's been a whole lot of money spent by the CRTC on Bill C-11 and building a regulatory framework. Is that really the best use of Canadian dollars when nothing has been accomplished for nearly two years?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
Well, I certainly wouldn't reduce funds to the justice system simply because people are suing, which is their right.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
I'm not asking for money to be reduced to the justice system, Minister. Don't put words in my mouth, please.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Thank you, Ms. Thomas.
That concludes the time for this round. We're going to continue now.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
It will likely further increase the costs down the road. What do you make of that?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Ms. Thomas, that concludes your time. Thank you.
Mr. Leitão, you have six minutes.
Liberal
Carlos Leitão Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon, Minister, and good afternoon as well to your staff.
Let's get back to the budget, particularly the investments planned in this budget and the investments that directly support Quebec's cultural sector.
I have two questions on this subject. Could you briefly outline the highlights of the investments in Quebec's cultural sector?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
First, broadly speaking, as I pointed out in my introduction, there's been an investment of over $700 million in arts and culture. This includes $26 million for the National Film Board, $150 million for Telefilm Canada, $150 million for CBC/Radio-Canada, $48 million for the Canada Music Fund and $127 million for the Canada Media Fund, which is immensely important for the cultural landscape of Quebec and Canada. In addition, in Montreal, I announced a $6-million investment for the purchase of Canadian and Quebec content by TV5MONDEplus. This is immensely important in a sector that is a source of pride for Quebec and for Canada as a whole.
Liberal
Carlos Leitão Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Very good. Thank you very much, Minister.
On the subject of CBC/Radio-Canada, it seems to be of great interest to our friends on the other side. Could you just give us your thoughts, your opinion on this: Why is it important for the federal government, for the Canadian government, to support CBC/Radio-Canada?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
The media is the fourth pillar of our democracy, so a well-funded public broadcaster is an important building block of that pillar. Those who conduct research in this area aren't surprised to see that CBC/Radio-Canada, compared to its peers, ranks below the OECD and G7 average. That funding is precisely what is needed to create an environment where people can get reliable news. A state-supported, and therefore independent, broadcaster, rather than a state broadcaster, is immensely important in terms of credibility. Given the situation we are facing, it's clear that the general mood is one of skepticism. Not funding this broadcaster or suggesting that we cut its funding would, I believe, undermine public confidence in this immensely important broadcaster, not only in terms of the reliability of news, but also in terms of democracy.
Liberal
Carlos Leitão Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Thank you, Minister.
Indeed, I can attest that I've always found CBC/Radio-Canada to do an excellent job, especially CBC News. It's a very high-quality and independent organization. So, yes, it's very useful and very necessary to ensure the long-term viability of this organization.
I'd also like to mention another point that I think is very important. In Quebec, we have several festivals, events and cultural institutions that play an essential role in the cultural, economic and social vitality of Quebec. Often, it doesn't take huge amounts of money to support this sector.
How does support for these initiatives constitute an asset for Quebec culture? Could you tell us a little about that?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
That's an extremely relevant question.
As I mentioned in my introduction, it comes as no surprise to anyone that we are in North America. Quebec is the only French-speaking nation in North America, which means that preserving this culture requires sustained investment from the federal government, specifically to preserve and promote our national identity. Whether it's an investment in the arts, culture, or public broadcasting, I think people are well aware that there are several levels of government that invest, but that the federal government must be there to ensure that these people shine, not only throughout Quebec, but also throughout Canada.
Liberal
Liberal
Carlos Leitão Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Understood, thank you.
For my part, as I said earlier, what I find particularly interesting is that, in many cases—such as these festivals and events, which we always think of as major events in Montreal or Quebec City, for example—a cultural event supported by the federal government can often have a disproportionate effect on small towns in the regions, in a positive sense, of course. It is often the only activity they have—
Liberal
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
I know that our time is up, but more often than not, it's the federal government that's giving support.
Liberal