I think you just have to quote a figure from a Conference Board of Canada study. It states that cultural activity in Canada generates between $80 and $85 billion for the country's economy. That is about 5% of our gross domestic product. You cannot turn up your nose at an amount like that. We have several hundred thousand people employed in culture across the country.
You are perfectly right, sir; this is not just a matter of noblesse oblige. We also have to look out for our economic interests, of course. That is why we should continue to support culture in all its forms.