Canadian Heritage committee  Every two years. Because our budgets are limited and because of staff, this year we've been putting our money into maintaining the collection: getting it framed and conserved, making sure it's in good shape, doing inventories. Next year we'll do the art acquisition.

Canadian Heritage committee  I have to. It's operational money. We also have the consent of the artists for that, because they're very concerned about the condition of the collection.

Canadian Heritage committee  It is okay, but they want to make sure we make it stay in that standard. You need to put work into a public collection.

Canadian Heritage committee  Your questions, if I can say, are very similar to questions that have been brought to me over the last year by a former employee who has been very inquisitive about the way we do business and the way the collection is kept. I'm wondering if this has any connection with your questions.

Canadian Heritage committee  But it takes money to put more—

Canadian Heritage committee  You're welcome.

Canadian Heritage committee  We do also include more prominent artists. It's just that the prominent artists know they have a better chance of getting acquired elsewhere-- people like Alex Janvier and Norval Morrisseau. Remember, it's the artist who defines this criterion. They want to give a chance to the new artists, just as they had in 1960.

Canadian Heritage committee  Of new artists, yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  At our department, or elsewhere?

Canadian Heritage committee  I'd like to see more education outreach done for communities, especially remote communities. They're the ones that should be seeing this collection, whether it's the actual objects, a slide presentation, or an artist coming in to give a talk. Everybody knows Ms. Keeper, and people like her are role models.

Canadian Heritage committee  We have an art gallery, so we get a lot of visitors there. We also show works in our main lobby at 10 Wellington Street. We get a lot of people. I get a request at least twice a week to come down and give a tour. On the average as well, just for people to come in and see...they don't actually see the collection, because it's hard on the collection to touch it, to see it, to move it.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's by appointment, yes. We're a small staff.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, make an appointment.

Canadian Heritage committee  If you go anywhere, if you go to Foreign Affairs, since 9/11 it has not been easy to get into our government departments anymore. That's why appointments are needed.

Canadian Heritage committee  We are often told we should not be crossing over into somebody else's mandate, and when you go to Treasury Board to get authority they make sure you're not copying or duplicating somebody else's work. Other art institutions, such as the Museum of Civilization, the regional museums, provincial museums and the National Art Gallery, all have the mandate to purchase from deceased artists or from artists who have passed on.