Mr. Speaker, applications for museum financing under the Museums Assistance Program were filed with the Department of Canadian Heritage as of February 15 this year. Some Canadian museums received their replies at the end of June, but most did so at the end of August. In Quebec only one museum received a reply, and it happens to be in Shawinigan, in the Prime Minister's riding.
My question is directed to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. What explanation does the minister have for the delay in responding to museums in general and those in Quebec in particular, and why does she let small museums languish for as long as seven months before bothering to answer their applications?