Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to participate in the debate on budget 2004.
I would like to inform the chair that I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the member for Yukon.
I wish to begin by congratulating the government and the Minister of Finance on the government's seventh consecutive balanced budget. As noted by the finance minister yesterday in the House of Commons, the budget that was presented was a focused budget with two clear objectives.
First, to demonstrate unequivocally the principles of financial responsibility and integrity. Second, to begin to give tangible shape to the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne.
I would like to point out to Canadians that the finance minister specifically noted that with the latter objective, the budget was just the beginning to give shape to the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne.
We should not be too disappointed if all the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne were not presented in this budget. We must remember that the Speech from the Throne is a long term working document, one that is intended to be implemented over a number of years by a government. On the other hand, as members know, a budget deals with a one to two year time framework.
It is necessary to point this out in light of the bulletin that I received this morning from the Canadian Conference of the Arts which began its critique of the budget by noting the following “It's clear that culture is not on the new government's radar! Even though there was news to announce it was hidden deep within the budget plan”.
I would like to remind Canadians that there were significant references to Canada's artists, cultural enterprises, arts and culture policies, cultural institutions, as well as the government's leadership in the creation of a new international instrument on cultural diversity in the Speech from the Throne which was delivered by Her Excellency, the Governor General, on February 2, 2004.
I would also like to point out to Canadians that budget 2004 is composed of much more than the budget speech which was presented by the Minister of Finance in the House of Commons. Whether or not an item appears in the budget speech does not mean that it does not form part and parcel of the budget plan. The budget plan is a thick book. The speech itself is only a few pages long.
I want to use my time to talk about the Canadian Television Fund. I was pleased to note that in the 2004 budget plan the government announced that it will restore its contribution to the Canadian Television Fund at $100 million a year over two years. That is $37.5 million more than what was forecasted for 2004-05, and an extension for 2005-06. In fact, with this new funding allocation, the resources of the fund will be $264 million for the year 2004-05.
The fund is a key instrument to reaching growing audiences for Canadian programming. These increased financial resources for the fund confirm the government's continuing commitment to support the production of high quality Canadian television programming.
The industry's reaction to this announcement was positive. I would like to share its response with members:
Producers are very happy about the budget announcement. It's a real vote of confidence for the CTF. The additional dollars will help address the financing problems inherent in making Canadian-made TV.
This statement was made by Canadian Film and Television Production Association President and Chief Executive Officer Guy Mayson.
I should add that this morning I received an e-mail from two of my constituents, two women entrepreneurs I might add, Mary Young Leckie and her partner Heather Haldane, who have a company called Tapestry Pictures. They too applauded the government for the renewal of the fund. One of the great things about Tapestry Pictures is that it produced very famous Canadian programs such as The Avro Arrow , Milgaard and most recently Shattered City , which is a story about the Halifax explosion. These are true Canadian stories that would not have had a chance to be told if they had not been told by these two incredible women.
Since 1996 the government has contributed more than $800 million to the Canadian Television Fund. This funding has been instrumental in bringing approximately $5 billion worth of quality Canadian programming to the screen and to Canadians.
The fund has supported well known English programs such as: Da Vinci's Inquest; Degrassi: The Next Generation; Franklin; Cold Squad, and Made In Canada. It has also supported well known French programs such as La Vie, la vie; Emma; Un gars, une fille; Le Monde de Charlotte; and Tabou. It also supported Trudeau which was broadcast on both CBC and Radio-Canada.
I would like to take this opportunity to point out that in the report prepared by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled “Our Cultural Sovereignty:The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting” dated June 2003 and tabled in the House, the committee recommended increased and stable funding for a focused Canadian Television Fund. Recommendation 5.10 stated:
The Committee recommends that the Canadian Television Fund be recognized by the government as an essential component of the Canadian broadcasting system. This recognition must include increased and stable long-term funding. The CRTC should be directed to oblige licensees, with the exception of small cable operators, to contribute to the CTF.
I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all of my colleagues to get a copy of this report of the standing committee and look at chapter 5 which deals with Canadian programming. I am proud to say that this study is being used in universities throughout Canada as a textbook for broadcasting studies.
During pre-budget consultations, I received numerous correspondences from my constituents who work in the film and television industry. They urged the government to top up the Canadian Television Fund in the upcoming budget by $37.5 million, and to reinstate the government's commitment to the television sector by bringing the CTF to its traditional level of $100 million.
I received letters from picture editors, screenwriters, film and television crew members, film and television directors, sound editors, filmmakers, and producers. I would submit that all of the players in the artistic community were behind the renewal of the fund at its higher level.
Constituent after constituent noted that the CTF is crucial to the survival of our domestic television industry and the tens of thousands of jobs that it supports.
I would like to share some of the great success factors of the fund since its inception in 1996. In 2002 the CTF contributed $241 million toward the creation of 583 television and film productions. The 583 productions supported by the fund pumped $802 million into the economy. About 2,822 new hours of Canadian programming were created. More incredibly, the CTF generated 16,000 direct and indirect jobs from production activities.
It is interesting to note that 80% of the CTFs total funding went to programs produced by small and medium sized enterprises, many of which are owned by women. On average, the CTF provides 30% of the financing needed to produce distinctively Canadian programming.
Most important, for every dollar the CTF contributes to the creation of a television production, $2 more are invested by other funding sources, highlighting the fund's role as a major catalyst for the creation of Canadian television.
The importance of the fund has also been recognized by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. Since 1996 things have changed. While the fund was originally set to expire after a few years, the success of it has been overwhelming. Things are also different than in 1996.
Today, in the year 2004, we have a 500 channel universe. Canadians now have more choice and the demand for Canadian programming has never been higher. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters has noted that if the government is committed to ensuring high quality Canadian programs, then it needs to provide a cohesive and complementary cultural policy framework that addresses program financing. The CTF is part of that framework.
I am delighted to be part of a government that continues to support the arts community and Canadian artists across Canada.