Pablo Rodriguez

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Judith Brosseau, senior vice-president of Astral Media and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Television Fund, believes that reducing the membership of that board from 21 to 7 will have a very negative impact. On the one hand, the expertise of the industry representatives on the board will disappear in one fell swoop, and on the other, there will be a flagrant lack of independence, because broadcasters, who have their own vested interests, will appoint five of the seven board members.

Why take a stand in favour of one segment of the industry over the other? What is he hiding?

[Arts and Culture, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the new Canada media fund has not been well received by the independent production industry. Claire Samson, president of the association of film and television producers of Quebec, says that the government is about to kill this industry. She said the new funding criteria, based on performance, would greatly reduce the production of documentaries and the numbers of jobs that are related.

Why is the minister trying to wipe our documentary industry off the map?

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the CBC's budget is being reduced significantly, by more than $50 million for this year and close to $100 million for next year.

Everyone knows that the Conservative government and the Prime Minister in particular have long wanted to get rid of our public broadcaster. They have repeatedly said as much.

Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages admit that he is taking advantage of the difficult time CBC is going through to reduce its mandate and close it down?

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the CBC is facing severe financial problems, yet the heritage minister does not seem to care.

CBC management is even considering massive layoffs, a reduction of its Canadian content, and the closure of regional television and radio stations across the country.

Will the minister do anything useful to help our national public broadcaster, or will he do what he usually does, which is absolutely nothing?

[Arts and Culture, February 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, last Monday, before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister defended the Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity. Wednesday, we learned that the prizes were established under false pretences. Now, the minister is washing his hands of it all. On Monday he was announcing this $25 million program, with which he was familiar. On Wednesday, he really was not sure about the program. On Monday, he was giving details about the program. On Wednesday, he was saying that the details might be different.

Is there anyone on the other side who can tell us what the program is all about?

[Arts and Culture, February 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, 40 well-known and respected cultural organizations were listed as partners for the Canada Prize for the Arts without their knowledge. These organizations have built their names and their credibility through many efforts over several years. Today, they find themselves associated with a concept which they did not even approve. The minister, instead of defending them, puts his head in the sand.

Is the minister trying to hide something or is he incompetent? Maybe he is trying to hide his incompetence.

[Arts and Culture, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, those bodies were not consulted yet they find themselves mentioned in the document and are furious about it. For example, general manager of les Ballets Jazz de Montréal Pascale Corréïa uses the words scandalous and shameful to describe the use of her organization's name in this document without consent.

Does the minister plan to issue a public apology to all of these organizations, which once again feel that the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages not only does not respect them, but worse than that, holds them in disdain?

[Arts and Culture, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage has cut $45 million in funding for arts and culture while creating the Canadian prizes for the arts based on false information.

I have a document that outlines the program and mentions 40 national and international partners, such as Cirque du Soleil and the National Ballet of Canada, but these organizations were not consulted before being listed as partners.

Why are the Conservatives attacking our cultural industries again?

[Culture, February 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in that same committee hearing, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage a very simple question to which he partially responded, but a full answer is required, so I will ask him again. Can he guarantee to the House and to all Canadians that his government will never again use its power to censor culture in our country?

[Culture, February 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, when he appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister took advantage of the opportunity to throw some numbers around that do not hold water. He said that the budget included $276 million for new investments in culture, which is not true. Even if we were to humour him by accepting that number, then compared it to the money invested in stimulating the economy, we would see that only eight-tenths of one per cent of that amount is going to culture—not even one per cent.

Is that what he calls investing in our priorities?