Sarmite Bulte

[Federal Economic Development, March 25th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of State, Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.

The task force on women entrepreneurs released its report in October 2003. The task force report found that one of the greatest challenges facing women entrepreneurs still today is access to capital. However this challenge is magnified in rural areas throughout Canada.

Could the minister advise us how the budget will help women entrepreneurs in northern and rural Ontario address this challenge?

[Arts and culture, March 25th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, on May 2, 2001, a major investment in Canadian culture was announced: more than $500 million over three years, in a program called “Tomorrow Starts Today”.

I am pleased to confirm that this investment is renewed for a fourth year, that is, for 2004-05. There will be an additional $207 million invested in 2004-05 in the arts, in book publishing, in heritage and historic sites, in electronic content, in sound recording and in cultural export.

This investment is being used to train a generation of young artists who are more representative of Canada's diversity; strengthen local cultural infrastructure across the country; make Canada's municipalities more aware of the great potential of local culture, using various means; improve the infrastructure needed to preserve Canada's historic sites; and provide on-line access to Canadian culture in both French and English—

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is mistaken. In 2002 the government on this side of the House was responsible for the largest reinvestment in the arts in the last 40 years: $550 million. It increased funding for the CBC, increasing acknowledgement of how important a role the CBC plays here.

If we talk about cuts that were made, let us not talk about cuts that were made 10 years ago. Those cuts were made in order to invest in the programs that we are investing in now because we dealt with the deficit. We started paying down the debt. All this talk about how we should take money that does not go into the debt and invest it in strategic infrastructure, we are doing all that.

However, by the very fact that we have been able to pay down a debt which, when I was first elected in 1997, cost us $42 billion in interest, I can only think of how many programs we could fund if we were to bring that into line. We must continue to pay down the debt so we can continue to invest in the programs that are important to my colleague across the way and to those on this side of the House.

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has raised an important question. When I said things have changed since the inception of the fund in 1996, it is because the demand for Canadian programming by international markets has actually shrunk. More and more countries are insisting on buying only indigenous work. Canadian productions are now being left out in the cold.

While other countries are trying to reinforce and require their producers to make more indigenous programming, we, in a sense, with a reduction in the fund in the 2003 budget by $25 million, have actually done a tremendous disservice to our own industry. Where Canada has been a leader in so many things, we actually fell behind here because we let other countries increase their production while we have sort of ended up going backward.

The important thing to remember is that the CTF only provides 30% of the funding, when in fact it leverages this huge amount of money. For every dollar we get, another $2 is put in by the private sector which, as the members opposite know, encourages and creates investment and creates jobs in all communities across Canada, not just big cities, because there are films everywhere.

In Saskatchewan there is great production in Canadian productions. As we become more successful we will continue to export it. However we must compete with the United States, which has a huge industry that comes across via satellite. Our productions are just as good. We just need to continue to make them even better.

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to participate in the debate on budget 2004.

I would like to inform the chair that I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the member for Yukon.

I wish to begin by congratulating the government and the Minister of Finance on the government's seventh consecutive balanced budget. As noted by the finance minister yesterday in the House of Commons, the budget that was presented was a focused budget with two clear objectives.

First, to demonstrate unequivocally the principles of financial responsibility and integrity. Second, to begin to give tangible shape to the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne.

I would like to point out to Canadians that the finance minister specifically noted that with the latter objective, the budget was just the beginning to give shape to the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne.

We should not be too disappointed if all the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne were not presented in this budget. We must remember that the Speech from the Throne is a long term working document, one that is intended to be implemented over a number of years by a government. On the other hand, as members know, a budget deals with a one to two year time framework.

It is necessary to point this out in light of the bulletin that I received this morning from the Canadian Conference of the Arts which began its critique of the budget by noting the following “It's clear that culture is not on the new government's radar! Even though there was news to announce it was hidden deep within the budget plan”.

I would like to remind Canadians that there were significant references to Canada's artists, cultural enterprises, arts and culture policies, cultural institutions, as well as the government's leadership in the creation of a new international instrument on cultural diversity in the Speech from the Throne which was delivered by Her Excellency, the Governor General, on February 2, 2004.

I would also like to point out to Canadians that budget 2004 is composed of much more than the budget speech which was presented by the Minister of Finance in the House of Commons. Whether or not an item appears in the budget speech does not mean that it does not form part and parcel of the budget plan. The budget plan is a thick book. The speech itself is only a few pages long.

I want to use my time to talk about the Canadian Television Fund. I was pleased to note that in the 2004 budget plan the government announced that it will restore its contribution to the Canadian Television Fund at $100 million a year over two years. That is $37.5 million more than what was forecasted for 2004-05, and an extension for 2005-06. In fact, with this new funding allocation, the resources of the fund will be $264 million for the year 2004-05.

The fund is a key instrument to reaching growing audiences for Canadian programming. These increased financial resources for the fund confirm the government's continuing commitment to support the production of high quality Canadian television programming.

The industry's reaction to this announcement was positive. I would like to share its response with members:

Producers are very happy about the budget announcement. It's a real vote of confidence for the CTF. The additional dollars will help address the financing problems inherent in making Canadian-made TV.

This statement was made by Canadian Film and Television Production Association President and Chief Executive Officer Guy Mayson.

I should add that this morning I received an e-mail from two of my constituents, two women entrepreneurs I might add, Mary Young Leckie and her partner Heather Haldane, who have a company called Tapestry Pictures. They too applauded the government for the renewal of the fund. One of the great things about Tapestry Pictures is that it produced very famous Canadian programs such as The Avro Arrow , Milgaard and most recently Shattered City , which is a story about the Halifax explosion. These are true Canadian stories that would not have had a chance to be told if they had not been told by these two incredible women.

Since 1996 the government has contributed more than $800 million to the Canadian Television Fund. This funding has been instrumental in bringing approximately $5 billion worth of quality Canadian programming to the screen and to Canadians.

The fund has supported well known English programs such as: Da Vinci's Inquest; Degrassi: The Next Generation; Franklin; Cold Squad, and Made In Canada. It has also supported well known French programs such as La Vie, la vie; Emma; Un gars, une fille; Le Monde de Charlotte; and Tabou. It also supported Trudeau which was broadcast on both CBC and Radio-Canada.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that in the report prepared by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled “Our Cultural Sovereignty:The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting” dated June 2003 and tabled in the House, the committee recommended increased and stable funding for a focused Canadian Television Fund. Recommendation 5.10 stated:

The Committee recommends that the Canadian Television Fund be recognized by the government as an essential component of the Canadian broadcasting system. This recognition must include increased and stable long-term funding. The CRTC should be directed to oblige licensees, with the exception of small cable operators, to contribute to the CTF.

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all of my colleagues to get a copy of this report of the standing committee and look at chapter 5 which deals with Canadian programming. I am proud to say that this study is being used in universities throughout Canada as a textbook for broadcasting studies.

During pre-budget consultations, I received numerous correspondences from my constituents who work in the film and television industry. They urged the government to top up the Canadian Television Fund in the upcoming budget by $37.5 million, and to reinstate the government's commitment to the television sector by bringing the CTF to its traditional level of $100 million.

I received letters from picture editors, screenwriters, film and television crew members, film and television directors, sound editors, filmmakers, and producers. I would submit that all of the players in the artistic community were behind the renewal of the fund at its higher level.

Constituent after constituent noted that the CTF is crucial to the survival of our domestic television industry and the tens of thousands of jobs that it supports.

I would like to share some of the great success factors of the fund since its inception in 1996. In 2002 the CTF contributed $241 million toward the creation of 583 television and film productions. The 583 productions supported by the fund pumped $802 million into the economy. About 2,822 new hours of Canadian programming were created. More incredibly, the CTF generated 16,000 direct and indirect jobs from production activities.

It is interesting to note that 80% of the CTFs total funding went to programs produced by small and medium sized enterprises, many of which are owned by women. On average, the CTF provides 30% of the financing needed to produce distinctively Canadian programming.

Most important, for every dollar the CTF contributes to the creation of a television production, $2 more are invested by other funding sources, highlighting the fund's role as a major catalyst for the creation of Canadian television.

The importance of the fund has also been recognized by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. Since 1996 things have changed. While the fund was originally set to expire after a few years, the success of it has been overwhelming. Things are also different than in 1996.

Today, in the year 2004, we have a 500 channel universe. Canadians now have more choice and the demand for Canadian programming has never been higher. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters has noted that if the government is committed to ensuring high quality Canadian programs, then it needs to provide a cohesive and complementary cultural policy framework that addresses program financing. The CTF is part of that framework.

I am delighted to be part of a government that continues to support the arts community and Canadian artists across Canada.

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the government and the Minister of Finance on its seventh consecutive balanced budget.

I was especially pleased that the government yesterday announced that it will restore its contribution to the Canadian television fund at $100 million a year over two years.

Since 1996 the government has contributed more than $800 million to the CTF. This funding has been instrumental in bringing approximately $5 billion worth of quality Canadian programming to the screen.

The messages from my constituents were loud and clear: that the CTF is essential to Canadian broadcasting. My constituent, Keith Ross Leicke, a professional Canadian screenwriter, wrote:

The CTF is a strong cultural tool in this country as it supports Canadian television shows that are written, directed and performed by Canadians.

I am pleased to note that the increased financial resources for the fund confirms this government's continuing commitment to support the production of high quality Canadian television programming.

[Crime Prevention, March 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, March 4, 2004, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced $7.9 million in funding in support of 162 community based crime prevention initiatives in Ontario.

The announcement was made in my riding of Parkdale--High Park at the Ground Level Café, which was also a recipient of $50,000. The Ground Level Café is operated by Ground Level Youth Ventures who provide job training, life skills and job search workshops to at-risk youth.

The funding will enable Ground Level Youth Ventures to expand their operations by re-opening a food bank at the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre, by recruiting more prospective employers for mentoring, and by partnering with the Parkdale-Liberty Economic Development Corporation in the new Parkdale community market.

The funding which was announced comes from the federal government's national crime prevention strategy which is designed to support community based initiatives on combating the underlying causes of crime. The national crime prevention strategy was launched in 1998 and has funded over 4,000 projects nationally.

[Status of Women, March 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Status of Women.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is holding its 48th session at its New York headquarters from March 1 to 12 of this year. Could the minister tell the House whether or not Canada is participating in these sessions?

[Yorktown Family Services Humanitarian Award, March 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Charlie Coffey, who on March 2, 2004, was honoured in Toronto as the recipient of the 2004 Yorktown Family Services Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes and celebrates the outstanding contributions and dedication by an individual to improving the lives of people in the community.

While in his daily job Charlie Coffey leads government relations and community affairs for RBC Financial Group, throughout his career he has made community leadership a priority. He especially enjoys interacting with young people, entrepreneurs and aboriginal peoples.

His commitments include: co-chair, Commission on Early Learning and Child Care for the City of Toronto; co-chair, Champions; governor of the Canadian Council to Promote Equality and Respect and the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada.

In the past, Charlie has been named as an honorary chief for his support of first nations. As well, he has received the Canadian Women's International Business Initiative Award.

I ask everyone to join me in congratulating Mr. Coffey.

[International Women's Day, February 25th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, to commemorate International Women's Day, on March 8 I will be hosting my sixth annual breakfast in my riding to acknowledge the accomplishments of the women of Parkdale--High Park.

This year we will celebrate the successes of the following women: Jane Bunnett, award winning musician; Heather Haldane, producer, Tapestry Pictures Inc.; Kathy Kennedy, business executive and community activist; Aurora Meliton, advocate for seniors; Dr. Barbara Sharratt, teacher, literary critic, political and social activist and journalist; and Pat Schnurr, artist and entrepreneur.

The theme for 2004 International Women's Day is “She's on a Role!” Many Canadian women, from athletes to social activists, have accomplished great things in their community, country and around the world. Some of these women receive little recognition for their efforts, yet provide shining examples for Canadians and Canadian youth by having followed their dreams no matter what barriers or opposition they may face.

International Women's Day is a special day to honour the variety and accomplishments made by women throughout all of our communities.