Debates of May 16th, 2007

Canadian Heritage--Main Estimates, 2007-08

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, we indicated that we would be looking at the museums and our government's approach to them. I would suggest that a year and a half in office is not necessarily breaking a promise. We have done effective, real work in supporting the museums, our national museums and museums across the country.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, when can we see this new museums policy?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, this reminds me of when I was a teacher. The students would always ask when rather than what about the content.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, does the minister feel that the museums community is doing better since she has been in office, and why? Might I remind her that the community will be listening closely.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, in fact I do. I see that the touring program of our museums has increased attendance at the museums. I also see that the attendance by Canadians to museums across the country has improved and is continuing to improve.

This means the museums are meaningful, but they are also presenting and giving something to Canadians that they value.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, film production costs are increasing but Telefilm's budget does not. In fact, Telefilm can finance fewer and fewer films when Quebec moviegoers want more and more. Why is the minister refusing to increase the feature film fund?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have met with Quebec filmmakers and they have put forward four proposals to me. Those proposals are being reviewed right now. I know Telefilm is also reviewing its support for the film industry.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, the objective of the feature film fund is to attract 5% of moviegoers, a percentage that was reached long ago in Quebec. Does the minister believe that the fund should take into account the different challenges facing the Quebec and Canadian film industries?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, as I indicated, we are reviewing the proposals put forward. I know Telefilm is also reviewing its support for the feature film industry.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, despite the fact that the fund has played a critical role in the development of Quebec film industry, it does not contribute to the development of the film industry in all parts of Quebec. What does the minister intend to do to stimulate the development of culture in general and of cinema in particular in all regions of Quebec?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I met and addressed the Quebec APTQ convention just recently. I indicated that I wanted to address production outside of the major cities of Quebec and Montreal. I have asked Telefilm to do the same.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, does the minister believe that Canadian Heritage should officially recognize the existence of a Quebec cinema distinct from Canadian cinema?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, we do recognize that. That is why we set up a francophone secretariat. In my discussions I have been very clear. I recognize the marketplace is different, the environment is different, the size of the international marketplace is different for them. That is why we want to bring forward programs and support that will be relevant to their situation.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, I come back to museums. Cutting the museum support program has been the only concrete measure, with a significant impact, that the minister has offered the museum community. How can she justify her cuts?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, in my presentation I said that we seemed to obsess about a $2.3 million cut, when we had in fact provided more assistance to the museums. As I have said, we will now be contributing $267 million to museums in Canada. This is an increase over the previous government's commitment.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am very pleased to be here with the minister tonight. I left my gang at home, so it is just me with questions. I am sure the minister and her friends will be more than willing to work through these questions. My time allotted is not much, so I will be asking a number of shorter questions because we have a lot to talk about.

I am interested in a number of issues in terms of media concentration. I am not going to get into CRTC issues. It is not really relevant to the issue tonight. However, I am very interested in any steps concerning the CanWest and Goldman Sachs takeover of Alliance Atlantis.

As the minister will know, we are in a situation where Goldman Sachs will be picking up the entire film library of Canada as part of this deal. That film library will most likely be spun off and we have no idea what steps are being taken to protect the Canadian film library.

What steps is the minister taking, if any, to meet with the principals to ensure that there will be a clear set of rules as to what will happen to our film library of Canada?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, there is a process and these transactions must go through the Competition Bureau as well as the CRTC.

The Competition Bureau looks at the marketplace and looks at the economic development of the industries. The CRTC has the primary responsibility regarding Canadian content. There is a clear set of principles and it is based in the Broadcasting Act.

The CRTC will review every transaction of this kind and ensure that the results end with a benefit to Canadians and also ensure that we have a strong Canadian content presence in our media sector.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Chair, that does not really answer the question at all. The CRTC will not deal with what will happen to the entire catalogue. We are talking about the entire history of Canadian film, our legacy that millions and millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars have gone into.

Surely to God she would not think the Competition Bureau would deal with that. We are talking about our Canadian heritage. I am asking the minister what steps she will take to ensure that there is not some quick pump and dump to some company that is going to walk off with the entire catalogue of Canadian film.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, having experience with the CRTC, I can assure the member that the CRTC will take its responsibility and look at all the outcomes. I do not want to pre-suggest that we know what the outcomes are. This process is just in its initial stages. All information put forward with the CRTC will be taken into consideration, and I, as the minister, will be monitoring its process.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am interested in this issue. We have heard numerous horror stories through our office of massive funding delays in arts programming. I did a little check through the minister's office.

As of the 10th month of this year past, only 38% of the arts policy budget had been spent. Citizenship and Heritage was at 37%. Multiculturalism was at 12.7%. Official languages was 29%, but with recent events that is not surprising. The cultural spaces program was 14%. Yet the minister's communication budget was 82.6%.

Why such a paltry, pathetic spending, why has she spent so much money on spin doctors? Maybe she should consider hiring some other ones.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, unfortunately for Canadians, when we hear a whole bunch of figures being arbitrarily pulled out of the air and used to make such accusations, it is not really responsible. Is the member opposite aware of what deadlines those applications were facing, what stage in the due process they were facing?

I make no apologies in ensuring that we have done our due diligence on behalf of Canadians, and that the support that we give as a federal government is going to meaningful organizations to make a real difference in real support to these organizations.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Chair, would the minister then be able to tell us, if she has done her due diligence, how much of the money that has been promised has actually been spent out of her department?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to be realistic about this. The department processes 7,000 applications annually, and it depends on the program. We have multiple programs that we are processing. To be realistic as to say as of this day, this minute, this week, et cetera, this is a continual thing.

As members know, we are making announcements. Those organizations are being made aware of where support going to be given. Our lapse is only about 1.5—

[The Chair, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The member for Timmins--James.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Chair, it is interesting that she cannot come up with that figure because a member of her party, my dear friend from Abbotsford, had the numbers of how much the Liberals did not spend under the MAP. He had that at his fingertips, but she does not have that here with all her stuff.

I want to take the minister back to the interesting week of April 14 to 23 when she sent the memo to all Conservative Party members inviting them to respond to her personal email for the summer festivals program. When I asked her a question, she stood up in the House and she mentioned that the member for Windsor West had contacted her. I would like to ask her why she mentioned his name?