Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In the context of the budget cuts it is asked to make, the Canada Council is holding a phony three week consultation on its own mandate with concerned groups. The arts community is seriously questioning the legitimacy of the whole process. Background documents are provided at the last minute and questionnaires are simplistic and biased. In short, the artists refuse to support this process.
Does the minister recognize that the Council's consultation process is dubious and hasty? How can he justify that the arts community being dealt with in such a cavalier fashion?