Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2009-02-26 18:50:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Richard Nadeau (Gatineau, BQ)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1308904\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Madam Speaker, we were somewhat surprised a few days ago when the member for <a data-HoCid=\"128194\" href=\"/politicians/daniel-petit/\" title=\"Daniel Petit\">Charlesbourg\u2014Haute-Saint-Charles</a>, a Reform Conservative, declared that the members of his party were not buddy-buddy with artists.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308905\" data-originallang=\"fr\">This was a surprising but candid statement. The Reform Conservative member said out loud what all his colleagues are thinking and revealed the contempt that the Reform Conservatives have for our artists.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308906\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> The cultural industry in Quebec represents 314,000 jobs, 171,000 of those direct ones. In Montreal alone, the cultural industry in 2005 generated economic spinoffs of $1.4 billion, and was responsible for a growth rate of 4.7%.That is huge.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308907\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> The culture of Quebec is a kind of formidable business card distributed by such greats as Robert Lepage, Cirque du Soleil or La La La Human Steps. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308908\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Last fall, the Reform Conservative government was true to form with respect to Quebec when it announced $45 million in cuts to programs for artists touring abroad.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308909\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The <a data-HoCid=\"128706\" href=\"/politicians/james-moore/\" title=\"James Moore\">Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages</a> announced that $22 million of that money would be transferred to the Olympic torch relay for the 2010 Vancouver games. Just a few days ago, the Reform Conservatives were back in the spotlight with a new program, the Canada prizes, and some $25 million in funding for foreign artists to perform and exhibit in Toronto. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308910\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Yet no fewer than 23 broadcasters in 17 different countries from Japan to Belgium wrote to the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a> asking his government to reinstate programs to help Quebec and Canadian artists tour internationally. He did not even take the time to reply.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308911\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> Members have repeatedly questioned the Reform Conservative government about its approach to the cultural sector. We have learned that it made unjustified cuts to the touring program. Then the government announced $25 million in funding for a program known as the Canada prizes, which nobody seems to know anything about. The government tried to distance itself from the project once it realized that it was a boondoggle. But it is hard to just walk away when the budget text repeats exactly what the promoters wrote last summer. And they talk about the prudent management of public funds.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308912\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> The Reform Conservatives are attacking artists, art and culture for purely ideological reasons. They will regret it because Quebeckers feel that culture is the very soul of our nation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308913\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The headaches caused by the Reform Conservative decision to eliminate the PromArt and Trade Routes programs that supported tours abroad are just beginning. The International Exchange for the Performing Arts, CINARS, predicts that, within three years, 3,300 international performances, some 2,000 jobs and no less than $24 million in direct revenues will be lost because of the Reform Conservative cuts.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308914\" data-originallang=\"fr\"> That is reason enough for Quebec to take control of its own cultural development. It is more important than ever for the federal government to transfer all culture-related responsibilities and funding to the Government of Quebec. </p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1308904\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Madame la Pr\u00e9sidente, nous avons \u00e9t\u00e9 un peu surpris, il y a quelques jours, lorsque le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"128194\" href=\"/politicians/daniel-petit/\" title=\"Daniel Petit\">Charlesbourg\u2014Haute-Saint-Charles</a>, un r\u00e9formiste-conservateur, a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 que les membres de son parti \u00ab ne sont pas copains-copains avec les artistes \u00bb.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308905\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Une d\u00e9claration surprenante, mais franche. Le d\u00e9put\u00e9 r\u00e9formiste-conservateur a dit tout haut ce que tous ses coll\u00e8gues pensent tout bas en laissant entrevoir tout le m\u00e9pris qu'\u00e9prouvent les r\u00e9formistes-conservateurs \u00e0 l'endroit de nos artistes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308906\" data-originallang=\"fr\">L'industrie culturelle au Qu\u00e9bec, cela veut dire 314 000 emplois, dont 171 000 sont des emplois directs. Seulement \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al, l'industrie culturelle g\u00e9n\u00e9rait en 2005 des retomb\u00e9es \u00e9conomiques de 1,4 milliard de dollars et engendrait un taux de croissance de 4,7 p. 100. C'est \u00e9norme.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308907\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La culture au Qu\u00e9bec, c'est une formidable carte de visite distribu\u00e9e par des artisans de grand g\u00e9nie, qu'ils aient pour nom Robert Lepage, le Cirque du Soleil ou encore La La La Human Steps.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308908\" data-originallang=\"fr\">L'automne dernier, le gouvernement r\u00e9formiste-conservateur a \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9gal \u00e0 lui-m\u00eame face au Qu\u00e9bec en annon\u00e7ant des compressions de 45 millions de dollars dans les programmes destin\u00e9s \u00e0 la r\u00e9alisation de tourn\u00e9es de nos artistes \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308909\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le <a data-HoCid=\"128706\" href=\"/politicians/james-moore/\" title=\"James Moore\">ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des Langues officielles</a> a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 que 22 millions de dollars de cette somme \u00e9tait transf\u00e9r\u00e9 au trajet de la flamme olympique pour les Jeux de Vancouver 2010. Il y a quelques jours \u00e0 peine, les r\u00e9formistes-conservateurs revenaient \u00e0 l'avant-sc\u00e8ne en cr\u00e9ant de toutes pi\u00e8ces un nouveau programme, les Prix du Canada, pr\u00e9voyant quelque 25 millions de dollars afin d'offrir des bourses \u00e0 l'intention d'artistes \u00e9trangers qui se produiront \u00e0 Toronto.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308910\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Pourtant, du Japon \u00e0 la Belgique, pas moins de 23 diffuseurs de 17 pays ont \u00e9crit au <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a> actuel pour que son gouvernement r\u00e9tablisse les programmes d'aide aux tourn\u00e9es internationales d'artistes qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois et canadiens. Il n'a m\u00eame pas daign\u00e9 leur accuser r\u00e9ception.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308911\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le gouvernement r\u00e9formiste-conservateur a \u00e9t\u00e9 interrog\u00e9 \u00e0 de nombreuses reprises en Chambre sur sa gestion du secteur culturel. Cela nous a permis d'apprendre qu'il a sabr\u00e9 dans les programmes de tourn\u00e9es de fa\u00e7on injustifi\u00e9e. Il a cependant annonc\u00e9 des fonds de l'ordre de 25 millions de dollars pour un projet dont il ne conna\u00eet rien et duquel il a tent\u00e9 par tous les moyens de se dissocier lorsqu'il a appris que ce projet \u00e9tait bidon. Difficile de s'en dissocier quand le texte du budget est exactement pareil \u00e0 celui que les promoteurs ont \u00e9crit l'\u00e9t\u00e9 dernier. Pour une saine gestion des fonds publics, on repassera!</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308912\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Pour des raisons purement id\u00e9ologiques, les r\u00e9formistes-conservateurs s'attaquent aux artistes, \u00e0 l'art et \u00e0 la culture. Il vont le regretter parce que la culture, au Qu\u00e9bec, c'est l'\u00e2me de notre nation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308913\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Les maux de t\u00eate caus\u00e9s par l'abolition des programmes d'aide aux tourn\u00e9es Prom'Art et Routes commerciales par les r\u00e9formistes-conservateurs ne font que commencer. La Conf\u00e9rence internationale des arts de la sc\u00e8ne, CINARS, pr\u00e9voit que 3 300 repr\u00e9sentations \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, quelque 2 000 emplois et pas moins de 24 millions de dollars en revenus directs seront perdus d'ici trois ans en raison des coupes des r\u00e9formistes-conservateurs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1308914\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Voil\u00e0 une raison plus que suffisante pour que le Qu\u00e9bec prenne enti\u00e8rement en main le d\u00e9veloppement de sa culture. Il est aujourd'hui plus que jamais n\u00e9cessaire que la totalit\u00e9 des responsabilit\u00e9s en mati\u00e8re de culture soient transf\u00e9r\u00e9es au gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec, en m\u00eame temps que toutes les sommes qui doivent y \u00eatre consacr\u00e9es.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2009/2/26/richard-nadeau-3/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/richard-nadeau/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/521/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2624955",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Adjournment Proceedings",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Culture",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2009/2/26/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2009%2F2%2F26%2F"
    }
}