Mr. Speaker, our cultural and musical institutions have been shaken to their foundations.
Solange Drouin, the executive director of the ADISQ, is stepping down after 29 years. This is difficult for me, because she and I experienced the golden age of Quebec's recording industry together in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when I was president of the ADISQ. This was also when the fight against piracy began, including illegal piracy and the sometimes legal, sanctioned piracy.
She was an extraordinary collaborator who was appreciated, respected, perhaps even a bit feared, but still loved by the entire arts and culture community. Her resilience was apparent, as she remained at the helm in a time of immense upheaval in the music industry. Some of her battles have yet to be won.
I would like to point out to the government that if it wants to give her a parting gift, it has the perfect opportunity to do so in the budget on April 19, by finally keeping its promise to force the digital giants to contribute to Quebec culture. This would be a meaningful way to honour three decades of commitment.
I do not believe that retirement would appeal to Solange, so my message to her is this: I look forward to seeing what you do next.