Mr. Speaker, in an attempt to boost his image before the Christmas holidays, the heritage minister announced with hoopla, on December 22, that the government planned to be reviewing the Copyright Act in the spring.
Last week, the 50 groups participating in the Canadian Conference of the Arts' cultural summit rejected government plans for gradual reform and demanded immediate action.
The minister's announcement does not help make the Copyright Act any less antiquated. The time has come for the government to be more specific about its plans with respect to the content of this bill.
By refusing to subject the bill to a comprehensive review, the heritage minister clearly indicates his unwillingness to take on his industry colleague, as he was supposed to do. It is clear who the real sponsor of this legislation is.