Mr. Speaker, 20 months ago, I moved a motion to reinstate funding for the PromArt and Trade Routes international touring programs. My colleague from Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert and I met with artists from all over Quebec who told us that these cuts would take a tremendous toll on culture and the economy.
Two years later, a study by the International Exchange for the Performing Arts has confirmed their fears. The elimination of these programs resulted in the cancellation of over 175 tours and the loss of $15.8 million in revenues. The cuts hit particularly hard in Quebec, where organizations received the largest portion of the funding that was eliminated. Every dollar cut resulted in the loss of about $6.30 in revenue.
The Conservative government is hurting Quebec's cultural industry. The government must act on Motion M-297, which was adopted on June 17, 2009, and invest once again in raising the international profile of Quebec and Canadian culture. That is what the Canadian Arts Coalition asked for yesterday on the Hill. The coalition also wants the government to increase the Canada Council's budget to $300 million.