Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member opposite for presenting the motion to the House.
We all welcome the opportunity to stand in the House and inform colleagues and all Canadians about the government's record level of support for arts and culture. We are proud to support Canada's artists, and the actions of the government proves exactly that.
The Canada Council for the Arts supports the work of individual artists and cultural organizations and the government is very supportive of the work it does. That is why the government has made the decision to increase to the CCA by $30 million, which is a record level of funding. We have clearly demonstrated our support for the arts community with the investment. We are proud of the results it is achieving and it has earned the investment.
Our support does not end there. In 2008-09 we invested a record $2.3 billion in arts and culture programs through the Department of Canadian Heritage. We heard the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages speak to that exact point time and again during question period today. The programs through the department and related crown corporations, agencies and boards have been very productive on behalf of Canadians.
We have announced a series of new investments that will directly support the arts, culture and heritage. We will continue to make wise investments and we will continue to do so in the fiscally responsible manner that Canadians expect from the government.
