Madam Speaker, I rise to highlight a clear message that the new federal budget is sending: Our country is choosing to invest in its culture, in its artists and in the diversity that shapes our collective identity. In a world where globalization and digital platforms profoundly altering our habits, we are making it clear that the Canadian voice must be protected, supported and celebrated.
As a proud francophone member and a proud representative of diversity, I know that culture is not merely an artistic expression. It is a vehicle for inclusion, social cohesion and belonging. Culture brings our stories, our regions, our languages and our generations together. Simply put, culture is a reflection of our diversity and the glue that holds our collective identity together.
This budget is designed to address challenges in an ambitious yet responsible way. It includes a historic investment over four years beginning next year to strengthen our cultural and creative ecosystem. This is one of the most ambitious investments in our recent history. It will help modernize our institutions, stimulate Canadian content creation, ensure our artists receive fairer compensation and support French-language and regional production. In short, we want to continue to showcase Canada at home and abroad.
Allow me to highlight a number of key measures: $150 million for Telefilm Canada to bolster film and documentary production; $127 million for the Canada Media Fund to support television and digital creation; $26 million for the National Film Board of Canada to support documentary production and narrative innovation; and $48 million for the Canada Music Fund to help Canadian artists succeed in a highly competitive global market.
These are not abstract commitments. They will provide employment through timely opportunities for our young creators and result in works that reflect our country's linguistic and cultural diversity. They will also help preserve regional and francophone voices, such as Quebec's voice, which are key to maintaining the richness and diversity of our identity.
This budget also introduces a long-awaited measure: an artist's resale right, which will now provide visual artists with a royalty whenever their work is resold. This is a major step forward in ensuring our creators are recognized and compensated fairly.
As culture is not experienced only in big performance halls or major national institutions, the budget also supports our local festivals, Canada Day and National Acadian Day celebrations, and community cultural projects. In fact, when I was in Fredericton earlier this year for National Acadian Day, I ran into Martin Théberge, who was then chair of the Société nationale de l'Acadie, although his term ended two weeks ago, I think. He told me that he thought the government should invest effectively so that National Acadian Day could be celebrated all across the country. In this budget, our government is answering that call with an increase in funding.
Culture is what gives us our vibrant neighbourhoods, villages, communities and regions. It is what creates those first stirrings of belonging for so many families, including diaspora communities, whom I have the honour of representing here. It is important to keep in mind that culture is also an industry. The cultural and creative sector represents tens of thousands of jobs, contributes to our GDP, attracts talent and spurs innovation. Every dollar invested generates major economic and social benefits. When we support our creators, we also support our industry, our technologies and our global competitiveness. At a time when many countries are cutting back on investing in culture, Canada is doing the opposite. We are choosing to invest more so that we can protect and strengthen our culture and help it to shine on the world stage.
This budget is not just a series of numbers, it is a statement of principles. Culture is not a luxury, but a necessity. It holds our collective identity together and drives our creativity and our economic prosperity. By supporting these measures, our country is choosing a Canada that is proud of its roots, open to the world, but resolutely committed to what makes us unique. Culture is also a heritage to be protected, a driver of prosperity, and the beating heart of our democracy.
This budget once again underscores the fact that we are listening to the arts community and to artists across the country.