Mr. Speaker, it is an honour once again to be here in your presence and to respond to these questions.
Last time, I did refer to the movie Groundhog Day. That is of course when every day Bill Murray wakes up and it is the same day again, and the same song on the radio. The same song is kind of what I am getting at.
Every day it is the same thing from the Bloc Québécois, despite the fact that the member knows what the truth is on these issues.
I am going to speak a little bit on touring and promotion, and then I am going to come back to Les Grands Ballets, as referred to by the hon. member.
With respect to international promotion, I would say that my department's ongoing investment has involved since 2007-8 over $22 million to support Canadian culture abroad through its portfolio agencies and delivery partners such as the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, the Association for the Export of Canadian Books, the National Film Board and FACTOR/Musicaction.
The member also referred to the strategic review in the department. The member knows full well that the overall spending in the department has increased substantially. The member knows full well that the strategic review only affected the tiniest portion of the overall budget of $2.31 billion that flows into the Canadian Heritage portfolio.
However, once again it is Groundhog Day. It is déjà vu all over again. We are back with the same questions once again. The reason why I have to keep giving the same answers is because the member keeps asking the same questions.
I would love to give different answers. I would love for this to be more inspiring for the people at home, but when I only have this to work with, I have to go with what I have got.
With respect to Les Grands Ballets, I gave an answer to this question in the House today. The member mentioned how it had to raise money to go overseas. Many groups have to raise money if they want to travel overseas. I am very happy that Les Grands Ballets is going. That is fantastic news. However, the government has provided substantial support to Les Grands Ballets.
For example, I pointed out today in the House that in 2004-5 from the endowment fund, which is a fund that the government partners with arts groups, Les Grands Ballets in 2004-5 received $510,000. This year from this Conservative government Les Grands Ballet will receive almost $1.5 million. That is three times as much money in government support just from the endowment fund.
However, that is not all. From the Canada Council for the Arts, it is also receiving an additional $1.2 million. That is $2.7 million. With respect to touring, it also received a further $20,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts strictly for touring.
It is Groundhog Day again. I will be back with the same question and I will be back giving the same answer. The reality is that this government is the most supportive government in Canada's history when it comes to Canada's culture and arts promotion and arts in general.
The member knows this full well, but what she does not stand up and say is how the Bloc stimulus plan does not have a thing, not a thing, on the arts in it at all. Lucky for artists in this country that when this government came forward with an economic action plan, we made sure the arts got a big piece of that economic stimulus package.