Mr. Speaker, the Reform member in making those kinds of comments is insulting just about every individual and every organization that has played a part in contributing to the quality of life in Canada.
The words I used to define culture come directly from the working group of the Canadian Conference of the Arts and its report on cultural policy for the 21st century. Those organizations together said that Canadian culture is about the expression of our common and diverse experiences, observations and aspirations. It is about building a sense of common purpose, tolerance and respect for the differences among people.
Is the member from the Reform Party suggesting that is not a noble goal? Are we not all here trying to ensure that we are tolerant and respectful of one another and trying to build a sense of common purpose, trying to ensure that public good takes precedence over selfish greed? Is that not what we are all about? Is that not what culture is all about?
The Reform member can insult me all he wants. But what he has just done is insulted the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Book Publishers Council, the Specialty and Premium TV Association, Simon Fraser University, the Pacific Music Association, the Office for Cultural Affairs in the city of Vancouver and on and on. Every organization involved in this field has been absolutely committed to do the opposite of what the Reform Party is suggesting.
As my colleague from Saskatchewan has just said to me, maybe that is why the Reform Party is at 9% or 10% in the polls. The most important thing for us today is to get beyond where Reform is coming from.
I will quote once more from the Canadian Conference of the Arts paper:
When cultural sovereignty is eroded, lost or subsumed within narrow political or ideological objectives the nation state is deprived of one of the most compelling bonds of nationhood.