James Moore

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this is completely untrue. Grants to the CBC will reach $1.17 billion this year, the largest investment in the history of our country.

I only have that report in French.

However, my hon. colleague talked about the announcement we made yesterday, about the Canada media fund and what it means for the CBC.

Here is what it means. Hubert Lacroix said:

The new Fund is designed to make sure that Canadians have access to more of the popular drama, comedy and children's programming that they want to watch, when, how and where they want to watch it.

CBC supports what we are doing. It is good for Canada.

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false. As usual, my colleague is talking here in the House without her facts, without even a briefing. I can give her this information so that she can show up here in this House with the facts.

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, absolutely not. This member always votes against the needs of our country's creators. In this Canada Media Fund, an investment of $310 million will be used to create Canadian content. One third of that money will be reserved for French-language productions. She voted against this measure. As usual, she voted against Quebec and the needs of our country's artists.

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

This is ridiculous, Mr. Speaker. It is modernizing a fund to create more Canadian content on more platforms. That is what is needed for this industry. Going forward, it is precisely what is needed.

With regard to the governance structure, it is a governance structure that needed to be amended and improved. It was recommended by the Auditor General. The Auditor General identified problems with the old Canadian Television Fund board. We put forward proposals. We did our consultations. We have come up with a governance model that will be independent and effective, and it will serve Canadians better.

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada media fund is what is in Canada's best interest.

We are merging it together with the Canada television fund in order to make it more efficient for the future. It will be $310 million for the production of Canadian content on multiple platforms. It has been well received.

I invite those who have concerns to simply look at the proposal and what has been said about it. Pierre Karl Péladeau said, “We now have reason to think that the necessary conditions will be created to promote the development of a strong and creative production industry...”

Everybody will benefit from it, from the broadcasters to the producers, and it is good for Canada.

[National Battlefields Commission, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I will simply repeat that it is important to us that the events commemorating the 250th anniversary be respectful and educational.

André Juneau, chairman of the National Battlefields Commission, will appear before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage this afternoon and my colleague can address his questions to him.

[National Battlefields Commission, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, what we want, as everyone does, is for all events surrounding the 250th anniversary to be educational and respectful.

My colleague knows that this afternoon, in about one hour, the President of the National Battlefields Commission will appear before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. My colleague can ask him these questions.

[Arts and Culture, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Bloc Québécois talked about the Just for Laughs Festival. Here is what Gilbert Rozon, the founder of Just for Laughs, said: “By integrating arts and culture along with major events in his crisis policy, the Prime Minister recognizes the role that this sector plays in the national economy.”

We are the ones who deliver the goods for Canadian artists. It is the Bloc members who vote against them.

[Arts and Culture, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this budget provides $22 million in funding this year to help our artists on the international stage. Every time, it is the Bloc Québécois that votes against our artists. This year, we will spend $2.3 billion to support our artists. It is always the Bloc members who vote against this.

[Arts and Culture, February 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this Conservative government is spending more money on arts and culture than any government in Canadian history, and we are doing so proudly. This year we are spending $22 million to help artists present their excellence on the international scene, more money than any government before in Canadian history.

Of course, the Bloc Québécois has voted against us. What those members want us to do is to re-establish a very specific program called Trade Routes. This was a program that had a $7 million budget, but it cost $5 million to deliver two million dollars' worth of benefits. That is a level of ineffectiveness and inefficiency that is not tolerable to Canadian taxpayers. We support our artists and we support them on the international scene, but we do not support waste.