Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Bloc motion that, in the opinion of the House, the government should consider funding cultural organizations on a multi-year basis in order to promote their stability.
However, it should be noted from the outset that before we start considering multi-year funding we should be examining the appropriateness of our present commitment to cultural funding.
This opportunity also permits me to set the record straight with respect to the Reform Party's position on Canadian cultural industries and artists. There seems to be a perception that we are unconcerned or even disinterested in Canadian culture. That really is a simplistic criticism of our policy.
Our policy is clear and concise. We are simply suggesting and encouraging less government involvement in the funding and promotion of the cultural sector. This has been our message firmly and consistently since the early days of this Parliament. What we want to see is less government involvement.
We promote the idea that the cultural community be given the tools necessary to flourish in an open, competitive, and changing marketplace. That includes less government intervention, less taxation, and less regulatory control, which will ultimately permit competition, not strangulation. Our approach recognizes that a Canadian cultural policy must be sustainable in a world of rapid technological change, one which fosters an environment in which individuals are free to choose. We need to ensure that the industry can make it on its own. This can and should be done through less regulation, less taxation.
We were elected with a mandate from our constituents to bring to this public forum their commitments and concerns, and we will not be intimidated by special interest groups. We do not support the concept of stable multi-year funding to organizations, which should be receiving the funding through the private sector and not through the federal government.
Albertans are demonstrating that they are willing to support the arts without massive federal assistance. So perhaps it is time that this government start to re-evaluate the way in which it is dealing with the cultural sector. This attitude change in Alberta has been perpetuated by the fact that shrinking budgets in all areas of the economy demand that we seek new innovative and creative ways of accessing funds, including the cultural sector.
Big Rock Breweries from Alberta is leading the way as a private sector supporter for the arts. Last year Big Rock provided over $1,000 to over 40 different arts groups. It views its cultural support as a wise business practice and not as a charitable donation. Thanks to the support of Big Rock, groups like the Alberta Theatre Project and the Muttard Public Art Gallery are thriving. Albertans indeed are leading the way in private sector support for the cultural sector. I applaud Big Rock for showing just what the private sector can do if left alone by various levels of government.
I think it is also important to illustrate at this time a few examples of why it is essential to bring back accountability to these cultural organizations. These examples will illustrate that not only does the Liberal Party not have a cultural policy, but the government's funding of these groups is indeed in need of reform.
For example, the artist Stephen Ellwood, an American who came to Canada because we give more money to artists than does the U.S., threw $300 in nickels, or 6,000 nickels in total, off a building and others were discarded in the street. This was to make a politically artistic statement. All this money is at the expense of the Canadian taxpayer, thanks to the Canada Council. If that is not government spending run amok, then I do not know what is.
Do not get me wrong; I truly believe in the freedom of expression. However, I do not believe Canadian taxpayers should be left on the hook for every political and artistic problem we encounter.
The Canada Council needs to be overhauled in its granting practices to ensure greater accountability as to how funds are distributed. It is time we looked at the current structure of the Canada Council to ask how it can continue to exist as we know it today.
Thanks to the Canada Council, the Liberal government is not even addressing the promises made in this year's budget regarding government accountability and reducing government spending. So I would like to thank Mr. Ellwood on behalf of all Canadians for pointing out the hypocrisy of this Liberal budget.
Another example of poor cultural policy was when the CRTC removed the American country music television network from Canadian airwaves. Canadian country artists used to be seen in 32 million homes around the world. But in retaliation for this decision, CMT now refuses to play Canadian artists' videos, restricting their airplay to Canadian homes only.
Promoting Canadian culture by closing our borders is like trying to mix oil and water. Canadian artists themselves denounced this decision, yet it was allowed to continue.
How does the government expect to promote Canadian cultural exports and allow for more consumer choice? It is unclear. Until this type of question can be answered, we should not be securing any multi-year funding to any cultural organization. This government seems to be moving toward a policy of protectionism in the cultural industry rather than one of a free market.
In typical Liberal fashion we are now seeing a flip-flop regarding our cultural policy. One day the government is restricting choice and competition in the country music industry. The next day it is opening up the doors for its Liberal friends in Power Corporation and their American buddies to set up satellite networks across the country.
Through the direct to home satellite debate the government has attempted to deflect criticism by portraying the Reform Party as anti-competition. Nothing could be further from the truth. The government has also said that we should not criticize the process. Wrong again. This can be clearly seen in the direct to home process. The only thing that has been clear in all of it is that Canadians are paying the price for the government's lack of a coherent cultural policy that favours true competition.
If the government truly wants competition, why will it not live up to its commitment to release a comprehensive cultural policy? I think the answer is clear: it does not have one.
I am also quite concerned that this debate is grinding down into a Quebec and English Canada issue. That is not the issue today. The issue we are looking at is entrenching multiculturalism funding and the fact that we as a nation cannot afford it. We are looking at a nationally enforced bilingualism, and we cannot afford it. We also cannot afford the funding of special interest groups.
This government's cultural policy is so misdirected that the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism in a recent interview stated eloquently that we have no national culture. I would like to take this opportunity to respond to that statement.
Most Canadians believe, as Reformers do, that we must uphold the rights of citizens and private groups to preserve their cultural heritage using their own resources but are opposed to any taxpayer funded multicultural programs. The Reform concept of culture is that as Canadians we believe we have something others do not. Collectively we see ourselves as a tolerant, peaceful and independent people.
Canadian culture is not stagnant. Rather, it is in a constant state of metamorphosis. The difficulty is that we continue to debate what our self-concept is. We need to stop struggling with our self-image and accept who we are.
Visually, our culture is an array of images, finely integrated and ever changing. Visual symbols such as the maple leaf, the uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and hockey connect us to one another at the deepest level of our consciousness. This is our Canadian culture. It has nothing to do with money or cultural groups, but has everything to do with us as Canadians.
We should not forget that Canadian culture has been around since our nation's conception and will certainly outlast this Parliament and even the next Parliament. It will do so simply because it is in our hearts and in our minds. It is what makes us Canadians.