Sheila Copps

[Publishing Industry, May 28th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the hon. member read the article in the Washington Post , but it says that, for the first time in the history of the United States, the Americans have acknowledged that culture can be treated differently.

What the article says is totally contrary to what the hon. member is claiming in this House.

[Publishing Industry, May 28th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Americans did sign the agreement.

This agreement is called the WTO agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures. The Americans signed that agreement and I expect that they intend to respect it.

[Publishing Industry, May 28th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the American government will not react, because it has in fact put this promise in writing to Canada with respect to this agreement.

[Arts And Culture, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, again the Reform Party has to make up its mind. Last week Reformers were accusing me of personally making decisions about every film that was made under the Canada Council. This week they are telling me that I should intervene to protect the editorial content of the NFB. The NFB and the Canada Council are arm's length organizations. I do not think politicians should be deciding what is art.

[Bill C-55, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, although I do not agree with the Reform Party's anticultural policy, I see that they are all of one mind.

The Progressive Conservative members were half for and half against Bill C-55.

On Monday in the Senate, amendments will be introduced that will preserve Canadian content, provide financial assistance to the Canadian magazine industry and, for the first time in the history of the United States, recognize that cultural protection is a vested right of Canadians.

This is a step forward for Canada and I hope that the member will be in the House next week—

[Bill C-55, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I can understand that the Progressive Conservative members are a bit embarrassed.

When we introduced Bill C-55 in the House, approximately half of them voted against it. Now they are here to support it.

I hope that, when amendments are introduced in the Senate on Monday, they will have the courage to admit that we are now protecting 82% of the Canadian advertising market for Canadian magazines. And I hope that those who voted against Bill C-55 at the outset will support this policy, which guarantees Canadian content in Canada in the future.

[Bill C-55, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on a serious note, I respect the fact the member has posed a very serious question.

With this bill for the first time in the history of this country we are going to have certainty for the long term for the Canadian magazine industry. For the first time the Americans have agreed in an international agreement to respect Canadian content. That was an unprecedented pill for the Americans to swallow. The fact that we have this agreement is a win for Canadian culture into the 21st century.

[Bill C-55, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I trust that question was not directed to the hard on crime minister.

[Publishing Industry, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, last week it was open season for the Americans on Canadian magazines. There was not a single law in place to protect Canada. This week we have managed to secure 82% of the magazine market for Canada. I say that is a win for Canadian magazines. It is a win for the government. Above all, it is a win for my daughter who will have a chance to read her stories in her country for the next century.

[Publishing Industry, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we did not back down. We have an agreement. From the beginning of the process we have always said that if we can reach an agreement with the Americans, if they put something on the table that is reasonable, if they recognize the right of Canada to protect its culture, an agreement is far preferable to either the WTO or a trade war.