Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Heritage budget may have increased, but artists do not have more money, they have less.
The minister told the House that he had transferred the money for artists to the Olympic torch relay. The crux of the problem is that the Conservatives do not acknowledge the economic impact of the cultural sector and they despise any type of support for a nation's cultural expression.
Will the government finally understand and restore funding for international tours by further increasing the Canada Council's budget?