Carole Lavallée

[Government Spending, March 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the tabling of the estimates confirms what the Bloc Québécois has been saying. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has falsely boasted to the media that his government has increased grants for arts and culture. However, a document submitted by his deputy minister to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage shows that the opposite is true: grants and contributions for arts and culture decreased by 7% in 2010-11.

Does the minister realize that, contrary to his claims, funding for arts and culture decreased last year and that, if we are to believe the most recent spending estimates, these ideological cuts will continue next year ?

[Government Appointments, February 14th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the night he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would clean up Ottawa. Now, rather than making appointments on the basis of competency and transparency, the Conservative government is perpetuating the Liberal culture of entitlement by freely appointing friends and people who share the ideology of fundamentalist religious groups.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the recent appointment of Tom Pentefountas to the CRTC is just another example of the Conservative government's partisanship when making its appointments?

[Culture, February 8th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the end of the assistance program for literary and artistic magazines with low circulation will have a dramatic effect on French-language periodicals. Forty-four specialized periodicals are being threatened as a result of yet another ridiculous decision by the Department of Canadian Heritage. After targeting the performing arts by eliminating assistance for tours and after introducing a bill that robs creators of their income, the Conservatives are now attacking literary publications for no reason.

When will the Conservatives stop picking on the cultural sector?

[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, February 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, his greatest asset in telecommunications is knowing the Conservative Party's telephone number by heart.

Now that the government's strong-arm tactics in favour of Globalive have failed, the Conservatives are trying to take control of the CRTC in order to impose their deregulation ideology and give foreign businesses a stranglehold on our telecommunications industry.

Will the government admit that appointing the friends of the Conservative regime is its new strategy to take control of the CRTC?

[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, February 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday evening, surreptitiously and practically shamefully, the government announced that another friend of Dimitri Soudas has been appointed to the CRTC, even though this criminal lawyer has no experience in regulations or broadcasting. This appointment is especially worrisome considering that this weekend, the Conservative member for Beauce announced that the government will soon be bringing forward a bill to deregulate telecommunications.

Will the minister acknowledge that, with Tom Pentefountas's appointment, the government is trying to take control of the CRTC in order to impose its deregulation ideology?

[Copyright, February 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, following the example of the Quebec National Assembly, the Union des consommateurs, the Barreau du Québec and various groups of artists and artisans, including ADISQ and UDA, now the City of Montreal has also said that Bill C-32 should apply the principle of private copying and thereby guarantee that Quebec creators receive compensation in accordance with the value of their intellectual property. Contrary to the minister's scornful remark, it is not just a handful of musicians who oppose his bill.

When will the minister decide to make significant changes to his bill and give creators fair compensation?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 31st, 2011]

With regard to the process for obtaining a pilot’s license: (a) what documents must students submit to Transport Canada authorities to obtain a license; (b) is it essential for students to provide the originals of their pilot training record and pilot logbook to obtain a license; (c) is it possible for students to obtain their license without providing the originals of these two documents; (d) is it possible for students to have obtained a license without possessing the originals of these two documents; and (e) if students are found to have attempted to mislead the Department, can it withdraw the license in question?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 31st, 2011]

With regard to 438 Helicopter Squadron, based in Saint-Hubert: (a) does the government intend to close the Squadron’s facilities in Saint-Hubert and, if so, (i) why does the government intend to close these facilities, (ii) for what date is the closure scheduled; (b) does the government intend to eliminate the Squadron and, if so, (i) why does the government intend to eliminate the Squadron, (ii) for what date is the elimination scheduled; (c) does the government intend to move the Squadron and, if so, (i) where does the government intend to move the Squadron, (ii) for what date is the move scheduled; (d) how many jobs for commissioned or other members of the Forces, reservists and civilians will be directly affected by the closure or move; and (e) for each of the categories of employment mentioned in (d), (i) how many positions will be abolished, (ii) how many positions will be moved?

[Economic Negotiations with the European Union, December 14th, 2010]

Mr. Chair, the member does not understand how it works. Canada and the European Union signed the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This means that all Canada has to do with this agreement with the European Union is to simply write it in the preamble.

All they have to do is sit down and decide to resolve the issue of arts and culture right away. In fact, in the first paragraph of the preamble, all they have to say is that since the European Union and Canada signed the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which exempts arts and culture from a free trade agreement, they are exempting arts and culture and acknowledge that the UNESCO convention applies. Then, they no longer have to talk about it and can negotiate other things, such as the software industry, the biomedical industry or the aerospace industry, but they will not talk about arts or culture because these topics are already exempt. As the member said earlier, when something is exempt, it means that it is truly exempt and is not included. Let us remove these issues and stop talking about them.

[Economic Negotiations with the European Union, December 14th, 2010]

Mr. Chair, unfortunately, the NDP member who just spoke is right. I said “unfortunately” because, to this point, the Conservatives have given no indication that they like the arts, culture and artists.

On November 30, 120 of the most famous, symbolic and legendary Quebec artists came to meet with Conservative members on Parliament Hill. Luc Plamondon, Robert Charlebois, Michel Rivard, Ariane Moffatt, Louise Forestier and the members of Mes aïeux and Cowboys fringants were there. Who met with them? Not one Conservative member met with them. Zero, net, none.

These are some of our most legendary artists. Usually, someone who likes artists will meet with them, especially when they are generous enough to travel to attend a meeting. They all spoke to us; we were at the same table. We went from table to table and they talked about themselves. Meeting so many great Quebec artists, many of whom are stars on the international stage, was truly an extraordinary experience.

They spoke against Bill C-32, which runs counter to artists' interests. We cannot understand why the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages defends industry at the expense of artists, and takes away $74 million in revenue per year. That makes absolutely no sense.