Industry Committee on May 2nd, 2013

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

That's perfect. I have my answer.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

I trust the Canadian Tourism Commission and Ms. McKenzie, who is the President and CEO—

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

She said the commission was underfunded. That is what she told me when I met her.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Despite those cuts, she will manage to do her job.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

The SMEs are doing—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. Lapointe.

Minister—

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Ms. McKenzie has been at the Canadian Tourism Commission for several years now. She has proven her expertise.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We do not have much time, minister.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

If you want to talk about cuts, then I am going to answer you.

The commission has had special budgets over the years, for the Olympic Games and other events.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We are talking about the latest budgets.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Those special budgets expire—

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We only have five minutes. So I beg you, minister—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Order.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

That is why funding of $58 million is now allocated to the Canadian Tourism Commission.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Order, please. We're televised and we also have translation, so when you go argumentatively, the translators can't keep up and there's no way for those who are watching to understand.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Please go ahead and finish your answer, Minister Bernier.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

I believe I answered the question.

To be more specific, if you look at the changes in the Canadian Tourism Commission's budget, you will see that funding has been allocated to certain specific events, such as $26 million over five years for the programs related to the Olympic Games. However, the Olympic Games are over, and that funding is therefore exhausted.

Special funding in the amount of $48 million was allocated to the economic stimulus program in 2009 and 2010.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Minister, you are talking about previous budgets. Here we are talking about budget 2013.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

The economic stimulus is over. There is a recovery in Canada. It is fragile, but it is nevertheless there. A special $5 million fund was allocated to the commission to promote—

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Minister, allow me to turn to another subject.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

—the 100^th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. That event is over. Funding was allocated to special events, and those are now over.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Let us talk about SMEs and labour-sponsored investment funds.

The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association is opposed to the cuts made to the labour-sponsored funds tax credit. The Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec and even the Fondation de l'entrepreneurship say this has come at the worst time.

Do you think those organizations are incompetent?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Like you, they have their point of view. I am not saying that you are incompetent, but you have a viewpoint that differs from mine. I do not call people incompetent when their viewpoint differs from that of the government.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

How do you justify the fact that these cuts have been implemented whereas the industry as a whole, the SMEs in Quebec in particular, believes that this is a very bad decision?