Debates of May 16th, 2007

Canadian Heritage--Main Estimates, 2007-08

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Chair, she is not answering any of the questions directly, and being insulting is not the way to do it.

The National Association of Women and the Law has received funding for over 30 years. It works to protect women's legal rights. It now has to get out of its lease because the government is turning its back on legal rights for women.

Why is the minister shutting women up? We want equality.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Once again, Mr. Chair, we are just talking about associations. This government, this party, this minister is talking about women, women who live in their communities, women who are trying to raise their children. We are now going to ensure that they see a difference and improvement in their lives, not just talk about associations.

[The Chair, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order, please. I am sorry but the 15 minutes are up.

Before I proceed to the next section, when these evenings were conceived, it was conceived as a time when there could actually be some orderly, intelligent, rational discussion. It cannot happen if people on both sides are constantly yelling at whoever has the floor on the other side. That is happening on both sides of the House.

I would plead with hon. members to forget about question period dynamics and actually try to do something different here tonight and listen to whoever has the floor. Your party will have a chance in due course.

The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Chair, this is the first opportunity that I have to share with the House the work done by the Department of Canadian Heritage under the Conservative government.

With me tonight are the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Sport, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works, the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Without a doubt, the Department of Canadian Heritage has an important and very broad mandate, with issues including sports, official languages, status of women and culture.

The government believes that all of these areas need and deserve support because they are important to Canadians. Each contributes to our Canadian way of life. They say what we are as a people, give expression to our values and tell of our unique histories and heritage. That is why we wholeheartedly supported the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

The convention, which came into effect on March 18, sets basic rules, so that the countries will maintain policies and promote culture. It recognizes the importance of cultural diversity in international, economic and social development. Canada was the first country to accept the convention. We will continue to be an international leader in the promotion of the convention, and in its implementation.

I announced that in June we intend to propose Canada's candidacy to be a member of the intergovernmental committee. We will also propose to host the first meeting of that committee, here in Ottawa, and to contribute to the committee's fund, so that it can continue its work.

However, it is not only on the international front that arts and culture must be supported. We must ensure that the support needed for our Canadian cultural industries are available and effective here in Canada.

This evening I will highlight a few areas where our government has acted through Canadian Heritage and Status of Women in our first year and a half in office. The government does support arts and culture and has done so in demonstrable ways. We have taken a number of steps to ensure that our support is effective, efficient and accountable to the Canadian public.

Over the past year, I have had over 200 meetings with artists and representatives of arts organizations around Canada to identify the priorities in this area. We want to ensure that resources will be invested in a focused fashion, achieving our goals and objectives. For me, this means setting priorities for investment, having a clear idea of the results to be achieved and reporting on those results.

The Canada Council, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is the federal government's primary agency supporting artistic excellence. In our very first budget, we committed a new $50 million to the Canada Council. This increase has resulted in the largest single grants contribution in the 50 year history of the funding agency. This new funding has brought in support to organizations such as les Grands Ballets Canadiens, le Théâtre du nouveau monde, le Musée des beaux-arts du Canada. This is an addition to the $150 million provided to the Canada Council for its work in every sector of the performing, visual, sound and new media arts world.

Moreover, our government believes that much can be achieved through partnership. Partnerships are an effective means to nurture, develop and sustain the arts sector, to leverage increased resources in support of the arts. It is a genuine indicator of public support for our cultural activities and organizations. That means partnerships with other levels of government, with business, with individuals and with the arts and cultural stakeholders themselves.

Through a new innovative mechanism, our government has made it more attractive for individuals and corporations to invest in the arts. In budget 2006 we removed the capital gains tax from gifts of publicly listed securities to charities. In its first year this measure has generated an estimated $20 million for the arts.

In budget 2007 we went even further. Building on this initiative, we extended the elimination of the capital gains tax on donations of publicly listed securities to private foundations. I am confident that this will also benefit the arts community.

I am very proud that the government recognizes the importance of local arts and heritage activities across Canada. They bring neighbours and families together to build stronger communities. They showcase local talent, encourage community participation and volunteerism, while providing a venue for celebration of our rich, artistic roots and heritage. That is why in budget 2007 we announced $60 million for the next two years to strengthen the cultural experiences of Canadians through events celebrating local arts and heritage.

The department is now holding consultations to establish the criteria for that future program. We will ensure that this new program will truly support activities that are meaningful to the community.

We will not let these resources be used for political purposes by one party, as the Liberal government did. This is why the process to develop the program, the criteria and the strict guidelines will not be completed before the fall.

With $50 million of new funding for the Canada Council, two new tax incentives to support the arts and $60 million for local arts and heritage activities, Canada's new government has clearly demonstrated its commitment and support for the arts sector in our first two budgets.

I would now like to show how Canada's new government is providing meaningful support to our museums in Canada.

Our government recognizes that our museums are the keepers of our history and treasures that tell the stories of our past.They collect and preserve our treasures and artifacts for generations to come. That is why in 2007 and 2008 we will be spending over $267 million on museums across Canada.

Our first priority must be our federal museums that maintain the story of Canada as a country. After years of neglect our national museums were in serious need of physical repairs and improvements.

In December I announced an additional $100 million for our national cultural institutions to address this urgent infrastructure need. This new investment will complement my department's cultural spaces Canada program that on a smaller scale supports the improvement, renovation and construction of arts and heritage facilities throughout Canada. In addition, the arts and heritage sustainability program invests in improvements in the managing of those museums and contributes an additional $1.8 million. At the same time the museums assistance program receives an annual budget of $9.6 million.

Finally, in our most recent budget we committed $10 million over the next two years for student internships in museums. Canadian museums had been requesting this additional help in this area for years. Under the previous Liberal government, only one-third of the needs in student employment was met. This measure was long overdue.

As I stated earlier, our commitment to Canada's museums totals $267 million.

I would now like to address the Status of Women portfolio. In budget 2007 we announced an additional $20 million over two years for women's programming, which included the $5 million for 2007-08 that I announced on March 7. This will bring the total budget for Status of Women Canada to $29.9 million, which represents the highest funding level ever in the history of this agency. With this new allocation, Canada's new government reiterated its support for the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada.

In keeping with the government's priorities, Status of Women Canada will provide strategic investments to implement tangible measures in key areas to improve the economic security of women and to continue to counter violence against women and young girls in Canadian society.

The women's program now has two components: the women's community fund to support projects undertaken at the local, regional and national levels--

[The Chair, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order. I am sorry to interrupt the minister but rules do require that there be a 10 minute speech and then five minutes left for questions and comments. I let the minister go on past the 10 minutes now, so I really must give the floor to someone else from the Conservative Party, if there is a question or comment to be made.

I have already extended a certain amount of leniency to the minister thinking she was going wrap up and knew what the rules of the game were.

The hon. member for Cambridge.

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Chair, I ask the hon. minister if I could hear her conclusion please.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, the other program will be the women's partnership fund that will support projects by non-governmental organizations in collaboration with other levels of government or federal departments and agencies. This will make a genuine difference in the lives of Canadian women.

Just this past weekend I was in Saint John, New Brunswick at the Urban Core Support Network and I met women who are determined to work their way out of poverty. We are supporting them. They will now be able to move toward a more financially secure future for themselves and their children. These programs will directly assist women in their daily lives and begin to address their genuine needs.

In conclusion, Canada's new government provided $1.4 billion for the Department of Canadian Heritage in its first budget. This was a $130 million increase over the previous government's support. As for the department's portfolio, total resources in 2006-07 amounted to $2 billion. This was an increase of $60 million over the previous government.

Canada's new government has in fact provided $240 million of new funding to support Canadian arts and culture: $50 million for the Canada Council; $100 million in infrastructure funding for our national cultural institutions; $60 million for arts and heritage activities; $10 million for student apprenticeships in museums; and our new tax incentives have generated $20 million in donations to the arts. As well, there is $20 million in new programming funding at the Status of Women Canada. This is real support. This is delivering for Canadians.

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the minister for her clear commitment to the modernization of Status of Women Canada. Her dedication is evident and admirable.

I listened with interest to the minister's description of projects geared to having a direct impact on the lives of women in our communities. I am wondering if the hon. minister could elaborate on the importance of funding organizations that have a direct benefit on the ground in local communities.

In my travels to other ridings, I have encountered a number of different women's organizations that were not aware of the changes at Status of Women. In fact, a number of the groups that I spoke with have never received money from the government and were not aware that funding was even available.

As a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women I have had to listen to the outrageous accusations of the Liberal and NDP members. They were content to have Status of Women provide advocacy funding for their lobbyist friends.

Could the minister take a few minutes to tell us about some of these projects that have received funding and why we needed to modernize the terms and conditions at Status of Women?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, as I indicated in my presentation, we are providing funding and support for thousands of organizations that are working daily on behalf of women to make a difference in the lives of women in communities. That is what we are doing. We are giving support to organizations such as the one I visited in Saint John, New Brunswick.

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

Mr. Chair, I will make a short statement and then get to my questions.

Since coming to power, the Conservative government has adopted an approach that involves controlling the message, and perhaps even the messenger. Fueled by its diehard dogmatism, this government, which would advocate an unrestricted, free market and unbridled capitalism, the most exaggerated incarnation of which is the Minister of Industry, clearly established the benchmarks for what we must think from now on.

A free-market, one-track approach and magical thinking—there you have the Conservative government's ideology. Anyone who has the nerve to think differently becomes suspect, if not dangerous.

Thus, to raise questions about the mission in Afghanistan would be to defend the Taliban. To suggest that telecommunications need regulation would mean judging businesses negatively. What demagoguery is this?

These defenders of one-track thinking, these Wyatt Earps of law and order who prefer the bayonet to the pen—they have no interest in the cultural development of Quebec and Canada, that much is clear. With their unconventional view of society, artists, who develop perspectives, are disturbing because their message is uncontrolled. In these circumstances, it is no surprise that the budget reflects this indifference to culture. However, we did not think that the Conservatives would demonstrate such boorish logic, such a Neanderthal attitude, to the point of threatening cultural development. No.

There are many examples of this, but too many to list them all in the time I have.

Thus, I will begin with the Canada Council, since I assume the minister will be tempted to boast about the work of her government on this topic, although I plan to dampen that temptation, I dare say, straight away.

I would remind the House that, as a result of combined pressure from the Canadian Arts Coalition, the Mouvement pour les arts et les lettres and the Bloc Québécois, in November 2005, the Liberal minister, Liza Frulla, announced a $300 million increase in the Canada Council's budget over three years.

The Conservatives did not take long to toss that commitment into the garbage can.

They might try to tell us that they increased the budget by $50 million, by $20 million the first year and another $30 million the second, but in reality, this is a shortfall of $100 million for the cultural community under this government. This community, as we all know, has many spokespeople with imaginations that go beyond the bounds of the lacklustre neo-conservative universe.

Next year, no money is budgeted, and that could mean a return to the $150 million starting point, that is, $250 million less than announced in November 2005.

If they had a majority government, they would happily, and without hesitation, cut the Canada Council's budget. The minister can brag about the $50 million for the Canada Council, but we know—the arts community knows—that this little breather is in jeopardy with the potential arrival of—God help us—a Conservative majority.

Cutting funding for artists is what their friends the oil companies are doing, in fact.

Let us be realistic. The highly anticipated museum policy—not updated since 1972—promised by this minister has so far resulted in nothing but cuts to the museums assistance program—museums, places that promote culture, timeless places that showcase who we were, who we will be and who we could be. To jeopardize the future of museums, as they are doing, is to jeopardize our collective memory.

I am trying to see the mercantile logic. Is money, then, not making identity and creativity unimportant? Not a cent was given to the feature film fund. Not a cent was given to contribute to the incredible boom in Quebec cinema, which Canadian Heritage is too dim to recognize.

The minister knows that production costs are increasing and that her stubborn determination to freeze budgets is contributing to the decline in our only national cinema: Quebec cinema.

Everything she touches falters. This minister is the worst thing that has happened to Quebec culture since Angelo, Fredo et Romeo.

Behind all this the message is dictatorial, creativity is stifled and imagination is ostracized. In very little time the minister's work has wreaked havoc and this must stop right now.

Jean-Luc Godard said that when people started talking to him about culture he got out his cheque book. That is what I invite the minister to do as soon as possible.

Can the minister promise to renew and improve next year's budget for the Canada Council or can we expect this $30 million to be non-renewable?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think the government has demonstrated that it has a balanced approach to those issues that are very important.

First, we believe we need a strong economy. The stronger the families and individuals are they can then can participate in all aspects of Canadian life, including the arts and cultural aspect of Canadian life.

These Canadians are hard-working and we are going to ensure that they have more of their money and less is sent to Ottawa to be wasted. We are ensuring that the money they send is going to be used effectively. In fact, the funding for the Canada Council, the new funding that we provided has meant that there is new money for the Montreal company Danse Par B.L.eux, the Nunavut Independent Television Network, the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto—

[The Chair, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order, please. I am sorry, the question the member asked after his speech was very brief and the minister has now had time to answer.

The hon. member for Saint-Lambert.

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

Mr. Chair, artists are among the lowest income citizens in Canada and Quebec. Attacks on artists are attacks on financially shaky people. Making our streets safer or cutting the GST by one percentage point is not the answer to the challenges they are facing.

What concrete action does the government intend to take to help artists increases their incomes?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, we are ensuring that we create a cultural industry, a production industry, a music industry and a film industry that are going to be able to reap the rewards of their hard work. We are working on international development through our trade routes program and through increased funding to the Canada Council. International marketplace opportunities will open up.

We will also ensure, because I note that artists also have families et cetera, that we free them up so they can pursue their creative endeavours.

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

Mr. Chair, the Bloc Québécois has introduced a bill to give the self-employed, including artists, access to employment insurance.

Does the minister support this initiative?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, we are aware of the initiatives taken by every province in the country in support of their artistic communities. We see that they provide tax credit systems, just as we do on the federal level. We know Quebec has initiatives and laws to address the needs of its artists. We have also seen other provinces take that initiative. We are monitoring all those.

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

Mr. Chair, several countries such as the United Kingdom have laws allowing income averaging over a number of years, varying between three and five.

Would she be in favour of legislation to that effect?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, as I indicated, we are monitoring the financial situation of our artists community and we are going to address their real needs.

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

Mr. Chair, in their last budget, $30 million was announced for an assistance program for festivals and cultural events.

For one thing, could the minister tell us why her insipid little questionnaire was distributed only to Conservative MPs?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I believe members of Parliament know their communities, know their ridings and know all the events in their communities the best, and they should know that. That is why I have given them an opportunity to have input into the consultation process.

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

Mr. Chair, summer is festival season.

Are we to understand that every festival scheduled for this summer will have to do without her new program?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, it happened last year as well. This program was announced in our budget and it is one that will be effective. We will not slipshod a new program and have it misused as it was by the previous government. That is why we will do our due diligence in setting up a framework, and the proper terms and conditions.

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

Mr. Chair, the Canadian festivals coalition has submitted a list of standardized criteria for the development of a new program. Is the minister planning to use standardized criteria or is she waiting to get the questionnaires back from the MPs to start working on this new program?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, that will be taken into consideration. I am looking forward to meeting with the coalition as well to discuss its suggestions to us.

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

Mr. Chair, in the last campaign, the Conservatives promised to develop a new museums policy. Why did they renege on their promise?