I want to thank my colleague for her question. She will not be surprised to learn that this issue affects me deeply and is important to me as a Quebecker, a member of Parliament, a member of the Bloc Québécois and as a citizen.
When we talk about culture, we are talking about our very identity, our quest for meaning, our opportunity to express ourselves and to convey our identity through our traditions.
This must not be lost. This must enrich not only our lives but the lives of everyone with whom we come in contact. Our lives in turn can be enriched through contact with their culture.
It is very serious when a government that is responsible for a society attacks its cultural programs, because by doing so it is attacking the identity of the very people it is responsible for. It is terrible.