Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to share with the House this government's commitment to arts and culture in Canada. We believe in the intrinsic value of culture in nourishing and inspiring the people of Canada and Quebec.
In Budget 2009, we committed $540 million to arts, culture, heritage and related tourism initiatives, including $276 million in new funding. We are familiar with these impressive initiatives. Each of them creates jobs and strengthens the economy. Let me mention, for instance, the additional $60 million over two years for cultural infrastructure and $100 million for famous festivals.
These new investments are in addition to the money already invested in arts and culture in Canada, including the $600 million we are providing to the film and video industry through various programs and organizations such as Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, or through tax credits for the production of films and television programming.
Just recently, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages announced an investment of $5 million for the new national translation program for book publishing. Through this program, the number of literary translations that we finance as part of our Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality will double over the next four years.
Last fall, thePrime Minister announced that we would invest an additional $25 million over five years in TV5, the successful international television network which broadcasts French-language Canadian shows to more than 180 million households all over the Francophonie and the world. This government is injecting significant funding into arts and culture, knowing how close to the hearts of Canadians and Quebeckers culture is and how much they benefit from it financially.
We are also determined to ensure that each dollar invested produces tangible, relevant and significant results for the people of Canada. This includes looking for new ways of supporting culture where the old ones are no longer relevant or are not worth the time, money and effort. Not only do arts and culture inspire Canadians and Quebeckers when times are tough, but they are also key elements of Canada's economy.
I would like to remind the House that the Conference Board of Canada reported that, in 2007, the cultural sector's contribution to GDP was 3.8% or $46 billion. For that reason, in this global recession, we are making a generous investment in the arts and the cultural industries. We are supporting this sector today in order to build the future and the dreams of tomorrow. We must focus on the future as we move forward.
Motion No. 297 is not a good way to help the arts and culture communities in Canada. It focuses on the past and seeks to restore programs that are no longer pertinent and do not meet their objective efficiently. Motion No. 297 will not work.
However, my colleague did get one thing right: the Canada Council for the Arts is an integral part of our arts strategy. It supports exciting new initiatives by professional artists and helps new artists launch their careers. That is why we have already increased permanent annual funding for the Canada Council for the Arts by $30 million to $181 million.
I would like to point out to the House that this is the largest amount of funding ever provided to the Canada Council for the Arts by a government.
We are determined to ensure that the arts are viable. However, just like ordinary Canadians, we must make choices every day about the money we spend. We must ensure that every dollar counts.
That is why we are streamlining the considerable funding allocated to arts and culture so that it has the greatest impact possible here, in Canada, and internationally.
The current government has an integrated strategy to support the arts and culture in Canada. This strategy focuses on improving the arts infrastructure and developing markets for culture, and at the same time enhancing Canada's reputation abroad.
I am proud to say that the Department of Canadian Heritage is creating funding programs that dovetail with those of other departments. Take tourism, for example. Cultural tourism is a growing market for the arts and culture in Canada. We have allocated $40 million to the Canadian Tourism Commission in order to promote Canada as a destination for tourists who have money to spend in Canada.
Parks Canada will receive new funding of $75 million to improve national historic sites. We are also investing in the building Canada fund, which supports sport and recreation infrastructure as well as important projects in the areas of arts and heritage across the country.
Cultural tourism is not the only beneficiary of such investments. Heritage Canada makes strategic contributions to arts and culture. In our 2009 budget, we increased funding for the cultural spaces Canada program by $60 million over two years. That money will benefit community cultural establishments, such as local theatres, which will be able to improve performance venues for Canadian artists. We recognize that Canadian artists participate in their local communities and that Canada's cultural industries are a vital part of local, regional and national economies.
The government is proud to support arts and culture in Canada and is doing a good job. It is working strategically. Cultural programs do not exist in a void. Culture is part of the everyday lives of Canadians and Quebeckers.
Our review showed that most of our arts and culture programs are strategic, effective and avant-garde. That is why we renewed $264 million in cultural funding for various programs and sectors, such as the Canada media fund and the national arts training contribution program, as well as new media and community magazines and newspapers.
We understand that short-term investments in arts and culture are an excellent way to strengthen Canada's artistic and economic vitality in the long term. That is why we increased funding for the national arts training contribution program by $14 million over two years. With a $20 million budget, the program will train the next generation of young artists and talented, hard-working creators on whom Canada's future creativity depends.
We are making considerable investments to ensure that Canadian culture survives the worsening global economic crisis and continues to develop in the future. We are giving Canadians and Quebeckers the tools they need to succeed here at home and internationally.