Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. In fact, I also wonder why the government does not follow suit and set an example. If we know the living conditions of our artists, if we wish to recognize their efforts and their work, as the Minister of Canadian Heritage stated so well today, why does the government not set an example and exclude itself from these exemptions? Considering that the federal government uses $80,000 worth of press clippings, artists and authors will thus be deprived of the royalties which they are owed. I totally agree with my colleague.
Women will also pay for the federal deficit, as we have learned in the UI bill, and artists could have to pay too.
So, if the government is sincere with its bill, before passing it, it will listent to the various stakeholders. It may listen to a special interest group, but it could lend an ear to the main stakeholders, such as the artists, and for once be attentive to their demands.
Given that an artist earns from $13,000 to $20,000 at most, it cannot be said that he makes a decent living out of his work. Our artists reflect all our society. They talk about our culture, celebrate our culture, and give plays about our culture, so we could perhaps encourage them by passing a good bill and prevent such expensive exemptions. Given these 15 pages of exemptions, the bill is full of loopholes.