My name is Luca Fortin. I am here as a proud member of Team Daoust, and as the voice of future generations and of an entire community in the cultural and creative sectors concerned about the value that the government attaches to our work, which represents a heritage of the future.
Allow me to reestablish some important facts. The contract documents are clear about the role of the Department of Canadian Heritage. They state that the department is responsible for the design competition and for overall management of the monument project on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada. The Department of Canadian Heritage cannot shirk its responsibility. The survey, which under the initial rules was to be accompanied by a public consultation, was supposed to provide food for thought for the jury. That's what it did, but it was not supposed to invalidate the jury's selection.
On June 19 last, we were met barely two hours before the official announcement of the selected concept and told that we had won the competition but that the contract would be awarded to another team. We immediately expressed in writing, and reiterated on three occasions, our fervent disagreement with that unfair and unreasonable decision.
We also sought meetings with the two ministers, but without success. On September 15, we sent a letter to the Prime Minister requesting that his government correct its error and act on the jury's decision. We received only an acknowledgement of receipt.
Given this state of affairs, and considering the importance of this matter, we mobilized the key players concerned by this dangerous precedent. We are not just the voice of a team; we also convey the indignation of more than 2,000 stakeholders associated to various degrees with the issue of public art, design and architecture competitions in Canada. Universities across the country have condemned your undemocratic process, artists have submitted a petition, and many letters have also been sent to the ministers concerned.
In closing, the Department of Canadian Heritage must accept its full responsibility in this matter, abide by its own rules and so honour the values that Canada holds dear: respect for democracy, respect for persons, integrity and excellence. While there is still time, the government must prevent the national monument to Canada's mission in Afghanistan from being forever tainted by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, controversies in the history of our country's competitions.