James Moore

[Royal Succession, January 31st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, today we have tabled legislation that will ensure that gender equality will indeed be in place for all successors to the throne. This modernization makes good sense. The Prime Minister told Canadians that we would put this reform forward and we are.

Given what we know the legislation to be about in the near future, on behalf of the government and I think indeed all members of Parliament I want to say that we wish the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all the best in the coming months and indeed many years.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Canadian Heritage does not fund authors, editors or other content producers directly. Federal funding of this type is only available through the Canada Council for the Arts.

[Canadian Heritage, December 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague may not believe our record when it comes to arts and culture but here is who does.

This is what Joe Rotman, chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, said about the budget that we will be voting on this year. He said, “This government clearly appreciates the positive contribution the arts have to the economy and the identity of this country”.

The member may not think that I am perhaps the best spokesperson for the arts but here is who does. Simon Brault, president of Culture Montreal, said, “Funding for the Canada Council of the Arts will remain intact and we owe a debt of gratitude to this government for listening to artists”.

[Canadian Heritage, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I saw the news on the TVA network. Quite frankly, the allegations are absolutely false.

If my colleague would like to learn more about what is happening at Library and Archives Canada, I urge him to invite Daniel J. Caron to the heritage committee. We could certainly discuss this matter. What we are doing is reinvesting in order to open the doors of Library and Archives Canada to more Canadians than ever before and give them access to its services and contents. We will continue with this work in order to improve the situation for all Canadians.

[Canadian Heritage, November 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Postal Museum is part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The Canadian Museum of Civilization just received $25 million more to become the Canadian Museum of History. We are very proud of that investment and we are proud of this museum.

Contrary to the New Democrats' understanding, when we add $25 million more to the budget to enlarge the museum's mandate to make it more pan-Canadian in terms of its content, to include the Canadian Postal Museum and much more, we are strengthening the largest museum in Canada to do what it does so well, which is to teach Canadian history to all Canadians, whether New Democrats understand it or not.

[Canadian Heritage, November 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know full well that, in budget 2012 that we are debating here in the House of Commons, we have kept every penny of our investments in the museums of Canada.

This is what the executive director of the Canadian Museums Association said: “The federal government is demonstrating strong support towards Canada's museums and art sector…”.

We continue to invest in our country's national and local museums to ensure that the museums continue to do what they are already doing: being the jewels of our culture across the country. We will continue to fund and invest in our museums.

[Sports, November 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we do indeed put our athletes first. If we look at the Own the Podium program and the investments we have made in that, certainly after the 2010 Olympics we have been very proud of our Canadian athletes.

Of course, we take every opportunity to highlight the brilliance of our athletes. We have welcomed them here on Parliament Hill, supported their programs to ensure that they do indeed shine on the international stage, and have done so not only by supporting athletes directly but also by supporting opportunities for them. For example, this government, this Conservative Party, was proud to support the 2010 Olympics, whereas the NDP actually campaigned to stop Canada from hosting the 2010 Games. Shame on them.

[Sports, November 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we are also proud of Canada's heritage and history. That is why we are creating the new Canadian Museum of History.

We are also proud of our athletes' performances in London and in Vancouver in 2010, and we will be proud of them in Sochi. We will continue to make investments both to protect and promote Canada's history and to celebrate and promote our athletes at international competitions.

[Correctional Service Canada, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we take this particular case and the broad subject very seriously. That is why we are working with the inquest to ensure that all the information is being given forward.

More broadly, we want to ensure that Canadians understand that we have invested into our regime for supporting mental health across the country, not only in the corrections system but beyond that. We want to ensure that the tragedy and the cruelty, frankly, that Ashley Smith faced is not repeated in the future. That is why the minister has taken the responsible action to ensure that all the information is coming forward.

[Correctional Service Canada, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member's first question was clear, and my answer was also clear.

The minister said it yesterday, and I am repeating it today: we gave instructions that all the necessary information be given to investigators so that, in the future, the judicial process produces more responsible outcomes than what we saw in the videos of Ashley Smith.