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Results: 201 - 255 of 255
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, this is a very important sector. It is contributing $20 billion to Canada's GDP and 160,000 jobs across the country.
What we are doing by introducing the bill is protecting Canadian cultural sovereignty and these jobs. Of course, some American companies are coming to Canada to film series and movies, service productions. This is great, but unless we intervene, we will lose our ability to tell our own stories.
I watch series from all around the world and I really love them, but first and foremost I like to watch Canadian series and movies and listen to Canadian music. Unless something is done, Canada will become nothing more than a production service outlet for the United States of America. This government does not want that. The bill prevents that from happening and gives us back our cultural sovereignty.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, I have a lot to say.
I would first like to point out that the party my hon. colleague represents had 10 years to tackle most of these issues while it was in power, but it did nothing. It actually reversed progress on a number of these issues.
My colleague seems to be saying that we are doing too much but that it is not enough and will cost too much, so I am a little confused. I have already answered the question about Facebook and Google, but I would like to read an excerpt from the Yale report, which the member mentioned and the former opposition leader said should be tossed in the trash the day it was released.
Here is what the Yale report says on page 146, in the recommendations section: “The actual percentage that might apply and the conditions relating to it would be a matter for the CRTC to determine after public hearings.” Those are the very same points my colleague raised.
Far from perpetuating inequity, this bill will level the playing field between traditional Canadian broadcasters and online broadcasters.
Speaking of the French language, I want to mention that I was honoured to receive the Impératif français award in 2017. I am one of the few members of Parliament to have earned this honour. French is very important to me, and this bill does even more to protect the French language. In the directive we will give the CRTC, we will ask for even more requirements relating to the French language.
If I understand correctly, my hon. colleague is accusing us of not doing enough for CBC/Radio-Canada. Does this mean that the leader of the official opposition has abandoned the promise he made during the Conservative Party leadership race to defund CBC/Radio-Canada?
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Drummond for his speech. I have some questions for him.
He said that francophone producers and artists across Quebec and Canada had thrived because of the protections we put in place. Here is one of my questions for him: Where are these measures in the current act? I do not see any.
All of the measures he is alluding to came from the CRTC. The government gave directives to the CRTC which led to protections for francophone culture in Quebec and across the country. That is what was reported in the Yale report, which the member supported at the time, saying it was good work. However, the Yale report, which he quoted earlier, says that it is up to the CRTC to determine these things and that it is not in the act.
The member said that some groups had been very enthusiastic in the beginning but then changed their minds. I will not name them all, but here are a few: the Association québécoise de la production médiatique; the Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, or ADISQ; the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française; the Canadian Independent Music Association, or CIMA; the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, or ACTRA; Unifor; the Fonds de solidarité FTQ; and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, or CSN.
I have here a press release issued yesterday by independent producers titled “Broadcasting bill: the AQPM refutes the Bloc Québécois's allegations”—
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
Last week, we introduced a bill that seeks to reform Canada's Broadcasting Act for the first time in 30 years.
That law will significantly impact and benefit Canadian culture. My colleague is well aware of that, because we consulted him many times regarding the introduction of the bill, which will enable us to provide an additional $1 billion in funding so that we can tell our stories in French in Quebec and Canada, as well as English and indigenous languages. That is a first for our country—
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that our government has provided Canada's arts, culture and sports sector with over $4 billion since the pandemic hit.
According to a recent survey, almost 78% of artists are very happy with what the federal government has done. Of course we can do more and will do more. The broadcasting bill is not about taxation, it is about broadcasting.
We will keep working to improve the system in this country.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
As recently as Tuesday, our government, the first in the country's history, decided to take on the web giants and have them contribute to the same degree as Canadian companies in the area of culture, audiovisual production and music.
The web giants will invest over $800 million more in Canadian culture each year.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, first, who would want to work for Facebook when they can work for the wonderful ministry of Canadian Heritage?
Second, we are doing today what no government has done before. We are forcing web giants to do their fair share when it comes to Canadian stories, Canadian artists and Canadian musicians, which only a handful of countries in the world have done. This will lead to close to $1 billion of more investment in our Canadian stories and in our Canadian artists.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, today, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française applauded the introduction of Bill C-10 to modernize broadcasting. ADISQ called it a historic day. We will be forcing web giants to invest almost $1 billion in Canadian culture, in our artists and in our stories. Special attention is being paid to the francophonie all across Canada, to first nations, to indigenous productions and to racialized groups wherever they may be in the country.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
moved that Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), be read the second time and referred to a committee.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
moved that Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), be read the second time and referred to a committee.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging that the House sits on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe.
It is a great honour to rise today and speak to Bill C-5, an important bill that seeks to create a new federal statutory holiday, a national day for truth and reconciliation. It is important that we recognize and thank Georgina Jolibois for bringing this bill forward in the last Parliament, but more importantly for being a strong advocate for indigenous rights and a voice for indigenous peoples not only in her riding, but across all of Canada. I also want to thank and acknowledge the hon. member for Burnaby South for supporting this important piece of legislation.
I have had the honour to speak in the House on our country's path toward reconciliation, and I know that reconciliation does not belong to a single political party or single individual. It is a shared responsibility for each and every one of us.
This bill is an important step on the journey that we are taking together. I am proud to work with members of all political parties on this legislative measure.
Some members of the House may have had the privilege of hearing the testimony given before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage when it examined Georgina Jolibois' bill in the previous Parliament. The testimony we heard strengthened our conviction that it is important to pass this bill.
Much of that moving and powerful testimony focused on the potential benefits of a national day for truth and reconciliation. For example, National Chief Robert Bertrand of the Congress for Aboriginal Peoples said:
A statutory holiday will be an important opportunity to reflect upon the diverse heritage and culture of our people, which remain so vitally important to the social fabric of this country. In doing so, each and every one of us will be working towards the reality of true reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.
Similarly, Mrs. Theresa Brown, the chair of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's Survivors Circle, spoke powerfully about the importance of a national day of reflection for residential school survivors. She said:
A special, separate day when our grandchildren could go out and lay a wreath, lay tobacco, pray and remember is important to me and other survivors. It is also a time for this country to remember and say “never again”. We want to know that when we are gone, our spirit of truth and reconciliation will live on in our future generations.
Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, testified as follows:
...the creation of a statutory holiday provides a greater weight and allows for more education and a bigger platform for us. If you think about holidays, statutory holidays, and how they've been allocated over time, they have been colonial in nature and they have thought about the founding of this country, not necessarily about indigenous peoples within Canada. This would be a marked departure from that legacy.
He went on to say the following:
This holiday can go a long way to making sure that from a very early age, all Canadians have a positive association with first nations, Inuit and Métis.
Mr. Obed's first point speaks to the importance and status of national holidays in Canada, and I would like to remind this chamber that the act of creating a new statutory holiday is, in itself, quite significant. Right now there are nine federally legislated statutory holidays in Canada. A national day for truth and reconciliation would join in rank of importance with holidays like Labour Day and Remembrance Day, highlighting the significance and scope of this day.
During the testimony we heard, many groups expressed points of view similar to those I just quoted about the meaning and impact of a day of commemoration.
The residential school system was indeed a national tragedy. Over the span of 130 years, more than 150,000 first nations, Inuit and Métis children were placed in residential schools. These children were forcibly separated from their parents, their homes, their culture, their language, their land, their relations and their communities.
This day is important. It is an opportunity to reflect on the harm inflicted on first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples throughout our history and to this day by the legacy of residential schools. We are working to repair that harm by responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's calls to action.
Call to action number 80 calls upon our government to:
establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Today, we want to answer that call to action.
After careful consultations and respectful consideration, September 30 was the date chosen deliberately for its significance. Currently, September 30 is the date of the grassroots movement called Orange Shirt Day, started by the formidable Phyllis Webstad. It was named after the orange shirt that Mrs. Webstad was given by her grandmother on her first day of residential school, only to have it forcibly taken away from her upon her arrival. Her orange shirt is symbolic of the vibrant cultures, languages, traditions, identities and childhoods that were repressed within the residential school system. It is also a symbol of survivors like Phyllis and the monumental efforts by first nations, Inuit and Métis in protecting and revitalizing their cultures and languages for future generations.
From testimony in committee we learned that September is a symbolically painful time for indigenous families and communities. Every year during the month of September children were separated from their loved ones and their community to go back to school. It is important to acknowledge this pain with a solemn day to remember the past, reflect on it and learn together to gain a better knowledge of the history and legacy of residential schools.
It has always been my belief that one of the pillars of reconciliation is education. Establishing a national day for truth and reconciliation is education in action. For all those living in Canada, this would be a day of commemoration, but also a day to learn about a dark chapter of our past. It would serve as a reminder to never forget and never veer from the path toward reconciliation.
Students still go back to school every year in September. The proposed date, September 30, for a national day of truth and reconciliation not only has symbolic importance, but it also provides an opportunity for learning within our schools about our journey toward reconciliation. Teachers across the country will be able to build on discussions about residential schools that are already under way in many schools. Families will have a reason to talk about reconciliation at home. Canadians will have a day to reflect on our history and our values as a society.
I like to think about the day when schools across the country will mark this holiday with ceremonies, as a day of learning. I hope they will invite elders or survivors, indigenous knowledge holders and educators to come into classrooms to talk with the children.
I think of the way that schools across the country use Remembrance Day as an educational tool for children of all ages to learn about the historic conflicts that Canada has been involved in, to understand the horrors of war and, above all, to honour the women and men who have sacrificed so much in serving this country. I believe that a new day for truth and reconciliation is an excellent learning opportunity for this equally important part of Canada's history.
Unfortunately, only half of Canadians know the history of the Indian residential school system and its long-term effects on indigenous peoples.
The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada states that too many Canadians know little or nothing about the deep historical roots of these conflicts. This lack of historical knowledge has serious consequences for first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and for Canada as a whole. Setting aside a special day each year to take the time to acknowledge this painful history will help everyone learn and understand more about the realities of the residential school era. This is a positive step on our path toward reconciliation. This type of commemoration is a collective, public act of recognition.
This will also be a day of listening and healing for the entire country. Together we can continue our conversation on social justice.
As Dr. Marie Wilson, former commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, noted in her testimony to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage:
It makes it everybody's call to attention, call to remembrance, and call to respect, and hopefully...there is ongoing education about it. We don't just talk about wars; we talk about peace in the context of talking about wars. In the context of residential schools, we can talk about mistakes of the past and what we are trying to do to address things going forward.
Mr. Tim Argetsinger, political advisor to the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, agreed. He said:
I think there's a way of achieving that balance where the focus of a day could be a focus on the past human rights abuses that indigenous peoples have experienced and have worked to overcome. At the same time, it could be the day to focus on the agency that we all have to take positive actions to address some of the challenges that flow from those past experiences.
I want to underscore that reconciliation and advancing indigenous rights remain a constant priority for our government. Some people will say that a single day will not resolve the horrors of the past and will do nothing to improve the unacceptable living conditions that still exist in some communities to this day. I believe, however, that remembering the past is an effective way to ensure that history is not repeated.
Systemic racism and overt racism exist in Canada. They are not and will never be acceptable. Recently, we were reminded of the horrific consequences they can have. The events that preceded the death of Joyce Echaquan shocked us all. They outraged us, but should not surprise us. They are not isolated events.
Addressing systemic racism in all our institutions requires active listening, strong public policy and making more equitable representation at all levels of society. Honouring the victims of institutional racism, whatever form it may have taken throughout history, is a first step. Making sure that these atrocities against indigenous peoples cease completely is our everyday priority.
This national day for truth and reconciliation will be an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on and question their own individual biases and assumptions. Working on them will require a continuous and collective endeavour beyond September 30.
I implore members of the House to listen carefully to the testimony of the survivors and indigenous leaders who are telling us how a national day of recognition would help heal the wounds of the past, honour survivors and move forward together towards reconciliation.
We must also continue to work tirelessly to quickly resolve the many problems faced by indigenous communities today. Access to drinking water, for example, is vital.
Our government is committed to eliminating all boil water advisories, in the long term, in first nations communities living on reserve. We recognize and affirm the right of communities to have access to safe drinking water. As a result of this commitment, 95 boil water advisories have been lifted since 2015.
In the preceding parliament, we passed an important law to reform child and family services with the goal of reducing the number of indigenous children in care. The law also allows first nations, the Inuit and the Métis to have full authority over child services so they can make the decisions that will ensure the well-being of their children, families and communities. There is a crisis in indigenous communities. Too many children are taken away from their homes and communities.
We are also committed to the reclamation, revitalization and strengthening of indigenous languages. A historic piece of legislation, the Indigenous Languages Act, received royal assent on June 21, 2019. This legislation was developed in collaboration with indigenous peoples. It recognizes the language rights of indigenous peoples and sets out how we will support these languages.
Canadian Heritage is working collaboratively with indigenous partners to implement the Indigenous Languages Act. The department is consulting with indigenous governments, governing bodies and a variety of organizations on the appointment of a commissioner and three directors of indigenous languages, as well as the development of an indigenous languages funding model. These are important successes, yet we can all agree that there is so much more we need to do.
I look forward to continuing to work hard with indigenous peoples across the country to make further progress on these and other crucial issues.
Canada has embarked upon a path to reconciliation. With each step, Canadians are able to better understand the lives, challenges and points of view of indigenous peoples from the past and present.
In introducing this bill to create a national day for truth and reconciliation, the Government of Canada is hoping to encourage people across the country to learn about indigenous history, come together and get involved to support these efforts and help their communities move forward on the path to reconciliation.
Although we all have different journeys and experiences, every Canadian has a unique and essential role to play as we walk together on this path toward reconciliation and a stronger, more resilient Canada.
I think it fitting to close with the words of Ms. Georgina Jolibois, who said, “People in Canada are capable of mourning the past while also celebrating the present and looking toward the future.” I urge all members to support this legislation so that our country can honour survivors and mark the history of residential schools with a day for recognition, reflection, commemoration, education and engagement.
We must recognize that others have come before us to chart this path. The commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission gave so much of themselves to ensure that the voices of others were heard. Those who testified, leaders and indigenous communities across Canada, as well as current and former parliamentarians, including Georgina Jolibois, called for a national day, as is set out in this bill. I thank them all.
Meegwetch, marsi.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the federal government and the federal system have been working and will continue to work to ensure that we can provide all the necessary services for indigenous peoples across this country.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.
Obviously, we are committed to doing that. It is a priority for our government, and we will move forward with adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, as we say in English, we should give credit where credit is due. It was absolutely natural for us to do this. I want to assure the member that we will work diligently with all members of this House and the Senate to ensure this bill is adopted as quickly as possible.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, as part of the consultations done during the last Parliament on this bill and the testimonies we heard through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it became clear that September 30, Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots movement in Canada led by indigenous peoples across the country, was really the most significant day to create this national federal statutory holiday to remember what happened and what Canada has done to indigenous peoples across the country. We want to work to ensure that Canadians, but especially younger Canadians, understand this part of our past so that never again should this happen in the future.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, it is a very important issue, and in fact, Canadian Heritage does have programs for educational activities as part of this. This is something we want to continue going into the future and maybe even amplify. It is a very good point.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
I think there are so many things we need to do on our journey towards reconciliation with indigenous peoples. Also, I am not saying that the bill I am introducing today will solve every problem.
However, this was one of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and it is something we heard from coast to coast to coast during the consultations held by that commission and by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
It is one step towards reconciliation, but there is a lot more work to do.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie for his question.
I said this just now in answer to the member for Joliette, and I will say it again. This bill is one step towards reconciliation with indigenous peoples. There are many other things we have to do.
For example, in my speech, I talked about implementing the Indigenous Languages Act, which is an absolutely crucial element. We are currently holding nationwide consultations about the implementation of that act. I heard one participant say that language is culture and culture is language, and I certainly agree with that.
There is still so much more we need to do. Our government is walking the path of reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and it is a process that will take a lot more time.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to support the Canadian film industry, as it plays an important role in the social, cultural and economic development of our country.
We are taking challenges faced by the audiovisual sector very seriously, and that is why we recently announced a short-term compensation program to remunerate the lack of insurance and allow the resumption of audiovisual production activities across the country. This program will provide $50 million in short-term funding that will be administered by Telefilm Canada, along with the Canada Media Fund. This measure will, among other things, keep tens of thousands of workers and artisans at work and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
We are also very concerned about the situation in the arts and culture sector. This is why our government has so far provided $4 billion in assistance, including $500 million in emergency assistance, to help the sector through this serious crisis. Just last week, we announced a $50-million fund to provide insurance coverage so that television and film productions can resume across the country.
We have been there, we are there and we will continue to be there for the arts and culture sector.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation).
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, there is no relationship more important to us than the one with indigenous peoples. Implementing the Truth and Reconciliation report's call to action number 80 to establish a statutory holiday remains a top priority for our government.
Thanks to the important work being done with our partners among the Inuit, Métis and first nations, as well as the Orange Shirt Society, we will be tabling a bill to make September 30 a statutory holiday.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his question.
As my colleague knows very well, the sector will not reopen before the new year because it is not possible. This is the worst pandemic in modern human history. Many venues have decided to postpone all events until 2021.
Had he bothered to read the article in question, the member would have seen that we have provided the sector with $3 billion to date—
Mr. Alexandre Boulerice: I did read the article, Mr. Chair.
Hon. Steven Guilbeault: Mr. Chair, we will continue to help these people until it is possible to reopen. Due to the public health crisis, it is currently not possible for arts and culture events to resume, as our colleague from the other side of the House knows very well.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, we understand that for many Canadians professional sport is a facet of their daily life and we certainly respect that. Through Sport Canada, our government funds amateur and youth programs across the country. Sport Canada does not provide funding to for-profit independent leagues or those outside Football Canada's mandate. We encourage organizations in need of assistance to talk to their financial institution to see what options are available to them.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians are eager to see their favourite sports team return to play. PHAC has assessed the National Hockey League's plan for pre-season training. When fully implemented, this plan offers robust measures to prevent new cases and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. The league has obtained a written commitment from both these cities and public health authorities to support the proposed measures.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, WE Charity was one of several organizations that submitted a Canada 150 proposal to the Department of Canadian Heritage that was subsequently selected. The two Canada 150 contribution agreements between WE Charity and the Department of Canadian Heritage were approved by the minister responsible at the time, at the recommendation of department officials. Cabinet was not involved in the process of approval of these contribution agreements.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie for his question and his advocacy on this issue.
I would like to remind him that, since the start of the pandemic, our government has invested almost $3 billion in the arts, culture and heritage sector across the country. We were asked to extend the Canada emergency response benefit, and we did. We were asked to ensure that someone who receives royalties could still receive the CERB, and we did.
We have been there from the beginning for our artists and artisans, and we will continue to be there for them.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, WE Charity was one of several organizations to have submitted a Canada 150 proposal to the Department of Canadian Heritage, and it was subsequently selected. The two Canada 150 contribution agreements between WE Charity and the Department of Canadian Heritage were approved by the minister responsible at the time, at the recommendation of department officials. Cabinet was not involved in the process of approval for these contribution agreements.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, our government has been there for Canadian media and we have been for years. We have invested more than $650 million to help media across the country. I find it quite ironic that I would be asked what our government has been doing to help the media when I have heard that the platform for the member for Durham would actually cut back the $600 million in support that we have provided for the media.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Orléans for her question.
Even though we must all keep our distance from one another, I know all Canadians understand that our creators and our athletes keep us united and strong at home.
On Friday, I announced a $500-million investment to support organizations in the arts, sport and culture during this difficult time by meeting their distinct financial needs. Our government is making sure that more jobs are protected, fewer people are left behind and organizations can keep contributing to the sector after the pandemic. Our goal is to make this money available as soon as possible.
I hope to have more details for you soon.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, the health and safety of Canadians is our top priority at all times. We know that tourism has been hard hit by COVID-19, and we are working tirelessly to mitigate its impact on the Canadian economy. As a first step, we are providing immediate help to those Canadians and businesses most in need, including to people without pay because of COVID-19, whether they are sick, caring for a loved one, unemployed or have been sent home.
We remain in communication with our colleagues in the provinces and territories, as well as with indigenous leaders and communities, to ensure we have a coordinated Canada-wide approach so we face and recover from this together. Our tourism sector is strong and resilient, and we will always be there to support it.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, if there is one thing people recognize it is that our government has acted swiftly to help a number of Canadians and a number of businesses, small, medium and large, across the country. We are working every day, morning, day, and often night, to do even more for them. We will continue to do so until together as Canadians we make it through this crisis.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, my colleague, the minister responsible for tourism, is working hard with the industry and various partners to find the right way to get this industry back on track.
The COVID-19 crisis has obviously had a very big impact on the tourism industry, as well as on the arts, culture and sports industries, which I represent. We are working with all our partners to find the right solutions that will get the various industries back on track once this crisis is over.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and for his commitment in this file.
As members know, environmental protection always has been and always will be a priority for me. I am pleased to be in this place among many people who care about the environment like I do.
As members also know, increased public awareness is essential for us to meet our targets. I am working with my colleagues on this issue.
I intend to advance the mandate that the Prime Minister gave me to work with national museums to help educate Canadians about climate change. I had the opportunity to see the work that the Canadian Museum of Nature and the Canada Science and Technology Museum have already begun doing to make the public more aware of climate change.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, our government thanked the panel for the ambitious work it has undertaken and for delivering the final report. We are looking at the recommendation in this report and plan to take action as swiftly as possible.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, I do wonder if the member opposite has actually read the report, because one of her colleagues welcomed the report and said that he would be happy to work with us for its implementation.
My department officials would be happy to organize a briefing for any members of the Conservative Party who would like to better understand this report.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government will always support a strong, free and independent press. The report that we received from an independent panel specifically proposes that news media be exempted from licensing requirements.
Let me be clear, in case we have not already been clear. We do not intend to impose licensing requirements on news organizations, nor will we regulate their content.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
I said it in French, Mr. Speaker, and I will say it in English. Our government believes in a strong, free and independent press. The report we received from an independent panel specifically exempted news media from licensing requirements.
Our government has said, very clearly, that we will not impose licensing requirements on news organizations. Nor will we regulate news content.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, we welcome the recommendations from this independent panel. I will be happy to sit with members of the opposition to look at the bill we will put on the table in the very near future.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that the court challenges program is a fully independent, non-political program.
We have no role to play in allocating funds or defining the eligibility criteria for the program. The decision is made by a committee of independent experts who ensure that the program is administered impartially and independently.
It seems to me that my colleague should understand the concept of independence.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague of some of the things the Bloc Québécois has said about the court challenges program, which include the following, and I quote: “That instrument has proven itself and has made it possible not only to make gains, but also to have rights that were theirs recognized.”
Also with regard to the same program, the Bloc Québécois said that it was a major tool for communities to combat assimilation and loss of language.
Finally, according to the Bloc Québécois, the court challenges program is an ally in the fight against anyone trying to destroy the francophone minority fibre in this country.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, my colleague shared some erroneous information. The English Montreal School Board has not received any funding from that program.
I never thought I would have to rise in the House and give a lesson on a concept as important as independence. Independence means having no connection to someone else, not being accountable, much like the court challenges program, which is independent. Sovereignty is when someone can do what they want, like the court challenges program, which is sovereign. Separation is when someone is far away, divided, separated, like the—
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in a strong, free and independent press. The report we received last week from an independent panel specifically excluded news media from licensing requirements.
I want to be clear on our intentions: Our government will not impose licensing requirements on news organizations, nor will we regulate news content.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion among members of the Conservative party. On one side, the member for Durham said the report would be dead on arrival. On the other side, the member for Calgary Nose Hill said the report does not go far enough and promotes the status quo.
I am happy, however, that the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, for his part, shows a balanced position to work with us to promote Canadian culture, which is what we want to do on this side of the House.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government will always support a strong, free and independent press. My colleague from Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis said last week that the report was interesting and that he welcomed it.
Unlike the Conservatives, we will work to ensure that our cultural policy is not defined in Hollywood, but rather here, by Canadians and Quebeckers.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the report, done by an independent body, which we received last week specifically said that news media should be exempted from licence requirements. Let me be clear on our intentions. Our government will not plan to impose licensing requirements on news organizations. We will—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government will always support a strong, free and independent press. Let me repeat what I have already said. The report we received from an independent panel recommends that news media be exempted for licence requirements. I want to be clear about our intentions: Our government will not impose licensing requirements on news organizations, nor will we regulate news content.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, there seems to be some confusion on the other side of the House between members of the Conservative Party. On the one hand, mere hours after the report was published, the member for Durham declared that he would throw it in the garbage.
On the other hand, the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis was very open to working with us and we are pleased with that.
We believe that the Yale report will make a significant contribution to the development of a new ecosystem for the protection of Canadian cultural content.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, we thank the Yale panel for the ambitious work it took on over the past 18 months and for the report it presented yesterday. We will carefully review the 97 recommendations it made on telecommunications, broadcasting and online content. Our government is committed to supporting this sector in Canada.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Sydney—Victoria for his excellent question.
This government is committed to reconciliation with indigenous peoples. That is why our government is investing to strengthen and revitalize indigenous languages.
Our government created the first Indigenous Languages Act in the history of Canada. That is one more step toward reconciliation.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our world-class public servants do incredible work for Canadians and we thank them for their efforts.
Employees at the Ministry of Canadian Heritage work under a specific set of rules stated in its code of conduct. This is in addition to the rules of the Public Service Commission set out for all civil servants.
There is an ongoing grievance on this specific case and we cannot further comment.
View Steven Guilbeault Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
I would like to take a moment to thank the voters of Laurier—Sainte-Marie who did me the great honour of choosing me to represent them in the House. I also want to congratulate you on your election, Mr. Speaker.
I want to reassure my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Our position is clear: anyone who profits from the system must contribute to it. We must protect our culture online, like everywhere else. Our laws predate the Internet, and we made a commitment to update them. That is what we will do. We made a commitment to do so in the first year of our term.
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