Mr. Speaker, some say that the Minister of Canadian Heritage is working, but I would have liked to see her working before there was an outcry in the cultural and television sector.
When I asked her my initial questions, the heritage minister did not seem to understand the problem, because she said that there was enough money in the fund and that we would be fully able to respond to the needs.
What made the minister act was the pressure here in the House and on those who work in television. The minister is campaigning in the Liberal leadership race along with the Finance Minister and they are both well aware that it would have a very negative impact on their campaign if they did not give their approval to this proposal.
The amount of $25 million which the minister will announce tomorrow is not enough. We will have to continue the fight year after year because we are living in a small market. Therefore, profits are not large enough to allow for a television production pool which would meet the needs of broadcasters, who need a sound, viable and competitive product.