House of Commons Hansard #120 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-13.

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(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #244

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:55 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from September 30, consideration of the motion that Bill C-41, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Korea, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

6:55 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at the second reading stage of Bill C-41.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #245

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

7:05 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

The House resumed from September 25 consideration of the motion that Bill C-584, An Act respecting the Corporate Social Responsibility Inherent in the Activities of Canadian Extractive Corporations in Developing Countries, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Corporate Social Responsibility of Extractive Corporations Outside Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

7:05 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-584 under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #246

Corporate Social Responsibility of Extractive Corporations Outside Canada ActPrivate Members' Business

7:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

I declare the motion defeated.

The House resumed from September 30 consideration of the motion, and of the amendment.

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:15 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 504 under private members' business.

The question is on the amendment.

(The House divided on the amendment, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #247

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

I declare the amendment carried. The next question is on the main motion.

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

Conservative

John Duncan Conservative Vancouver Island North, BC

Mr. Speaker, I think if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent to unanimously adopt Motion No. 504, as unanimously amended, in the previous vote.

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

Does the hon. government House whip have unanimous consent?

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals agree to apply the vote, but the member for Guelph was not here for the last vote and we want to include him in this vote.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #248

Instruction to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (violence against women)Private Members' Business

7:20 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

I declare the motion, as amended, carried.

I wish to inform the House that because of the delay there will be no private members' business hour today. Accordingly the order will be rescheduled for another sitting.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationAdjournment Proceedings

October 1st, 2014 / 7:25 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Mr. Speaker, I suppose it only makes sense that the Conservatives want to starve the CBC of its funding. After all, if the government is bent on rewriting history, repackaging and rebranding our nation to reflect neo-liberal values, with an emphasis on the glories of war, without a single nod to the Canadian veterans who sacrificed for our country, or to changing the national colours from red and white to Conservative blue, then what better way to do it than to render our national broadcaster helpless in fulfilling its mandate to inform, unite, and educate Canadians about our shared history, values, and culture.

If I cannot appeal to the members on the opposite side of this House to consider the value of the CBC for its mandate to inform, unite, and entertain Canadians, then let me speak to the value Conservatives most consistently support: their pocketbooks.

In our heritage committee study of the Canadian music industry, we heard over and over again about the ways in which culture and the arts work hand in hand to create and sustain a vital and prosperous economy.

Mark Monahan, of Bluesfest, in his April 29 testimony to the heritage committee, stated that the “one thing...missing from the federal funding picture right now [is the] focus on economic development” with existing funding for the arts “...not really focusing on the deliverables like economic development and tourism”.

Broadcasts such as the CBC Radio's Canada Live series have sadly suffered the axe of Conservative cuts, along with Arctic Air; the 10-minute late night news broadcast formerly available to northern Canadians; Connect with Mark Kelly; Dispatches, with Rick MacInnes-Rae; and I could go on, but it makes me too sad.

Tracy Jenkins, of Lula Lounge, who testified before committee on May 6, stated that Canada Live was:

...crucial in helping us develop audiences for our programming and...artists.... We have really felt the impact of the loss of the initiative to do live recording for a future broadcast as this was an effective vehicle for reaching new listeners across the country and affirming the importance of artistic contributions being made by culturally diverse Canadian artists.

Put simply, investment in CBC Radio allows our Canadian music producers to be showcased in an affordable and viable format, putting money in their pockets and in the pockets of Canadian music producers, who spend their money in Canada.

More bang for the buck. Who has a problem with that?

We heard consistently from expert witnesses at the heritage committee this spring who told us that the arts have value, not only for the pleasure they provide but for the real and substantial contribution they make to economic development in Canadian communities and across the globe.

I have said it before and I will say it again: Conservatives who hold to the idea that we cannot afford to invest in the arts, or Liberals who cut funding in order to pad corporate tax breaks, are being penny-wise and dollar foolish. If the Conservatives understood the real value of investing in the CBC, they would not be slashing the funding. They would be making our national broadcaster part of their economic action plan.

Even Pierre Karl Péladeau, the former head of the Sun news chain, has come out in support of our national public broadcaster. Who ever thought we would see that day?

Will the Conservatives give up their war on culture?

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationAdjournment Proceedings

7:30 p.m.

St. Catharines Ontario

Conservative

Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, that was an interesting meander along a road that I am not quite sure was actually constructed to get anywhere, but it sure provided a lot of detours and exits along the way.

If I understand correctly, the hon. member was speaking about her concerns about the CBC. Then she was speaking about a music study that, if I recall correctly, she was a part of.

That music study, if the member recalls, was completed before our summer break, so perhaps she forgot how successful that study was and how many witnesses came to present from the perspective that they believed the study was necessary. They also complimented all members, whether they be part of the government or the opposition, in terms of the need for the study.

The recommendations that came forward, almost all of which were supported by the NDP, brought forward a study that I think provided some very useful insight into the music industry in this country, the direction it needed to go in terms of improvement, and most importantly, the fact that Canadian music, both from a national perspective and from a future perspective, is in the best position it has ever been in the history of our country.

Therefore, while the member did go on a little about the CBC and what she claims are reductions, she tried to use the music study to build on her argument. However, if we look at the success of the music study, it is not anywhere near where she went with her negative comments about funding and the CBC.

I remind the member that on May 15 of this year, the House spent the better part of a day discussing the current financial situation facing the CBC. The government certainly understands the cultural importance as well as the economic value of investing in Canada's cultural industries, including the CBC. That is why in the budget we permanently renewed funding for a number of core arts and cultural programs offered by the ministry.

However, at the current moment, the CBC is facing a budget shortfall. That shortfall certainly is not because of a loss of government investment. In fact, according to the president of the CBC:

—a weak advertising market across the industry, lower-than-expected schedule performance in the key 25-54 year-old demographic on CBC Television, lower than expected ad revenues...and the loss of the NHL contract...have combined to create an important revenue shortfall....

It is because of our government's understanding of the importance of our national broadcaster that the CBC receives over $1 billion a year from taxpayers. We respect the arm's-length relationship between the CBC and government. However, it is up to the CBC to manage its own day-to-day operations.

To be clear, and as Mr. Lacroix said, the challenges faced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation are due to a loss of advertising revenue. They certainly are not due to the fact that this government does not make investment after investment year after year in the CBC.

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationAdjournment Proceedings

7:30 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Mr. Speaker, I guess we are just going to ignore the fact that the Liberals in 1995 cut $400 million from the CBC, and the current Conservative government cut another $115 million, so that the CBC was in a situation where it could not keep up with the private sector. Of course its revenues fell. What did the Conservatives expect?

In 1991, the CBC mandate was to provide a conduit for Canadians of all ages, genders and origins to connect with each other in order to make real and progressive dialogue about our values, identity and the wonderfully unique personality of this country.

The Conservatives argue that the corporation is independent and that they have no say in how the business is run without acknowledging the fact that the death of a thousand cuts, which as I said was started by Liberals, continues through the Conservative reign. It is starving the CBC of the funding it needs so desperately to fulfill its mandate.

The CBC was created to work hand in hand with this Parliament in forging and preserving the Canadian identity, our diversity, creativity and talent. What is so threatening about it that they have to cut it?

Will the Conservative government finally agree to invest in the CBC and Radio-Canada so they can continue to tell the inspiring stories of—

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationAdjournment Proceedings

7:35 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

The member has well exceeded her time.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.