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Canadian Identity and Culture

Question period exchanges on support for Quebec and Canadian culture. The Bloc Québécois said the Prime Minister is giving in to American streaming companies such as Netflix and Disney by not requiring them to pay fees supporting local content, and argued the arts sector stands to lose $3.4 billion as a result. Liberal minister Marc Miller replied that the government is investing in culture now, citing $750 million for CBC/Radio-Canada, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board and a $600 million funding announcement, and criticized the Bloc for voting against that funding. The exchange also included pointed remarks between the two members about each other’s records.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

6 statements

Yves-François Blanchet

Bloc Québécois
“The Prime Minister is giving in to American streaming companies. He will not make them pay fees, and he is cancelling money for Quebec and Canadian content. This hurts our culture and our artists.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this time it is clear. The Prime Minister is abandoning the cultural sector in the face of American digital giants. Not only is he capitulating on the levy increase demanded from streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime, and Disney, but we also found out that he will require the CRTC to cancel every last bit of funding for Quebec and Canadian content. Even the meagre 5% that Ottawa was trying to impose is too much for the Prime Minister. In one fell swoop, he is undoing 10 years of fighting to defend our creators. Is he at least aware that he is openly threatening the future of Quebec culture?

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Marc Miller

Liberal
“The Bloc Québécois voted against $750 million for Canadian culture and media. They pretend to care about culture, but our government is the one actually funding it.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, only the Bloc Québécois would stand up in the House and vote against three-quarters of a billion dollars for culture, for CBC/Radio-Canada, for Telefilm Canada and for the National Film Board of Canada. Next, the Bloc Québécois members are going to turn their noses up at the $600 million offered to a cultural sector that we love and must support. While they pretend to support culture, we are taking action.

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Yves-François Blanchet

Bloc Québécois
“The Prime Minister is not protecting Quebec culture. He is giving in to the United States. Other countries make big internet companies pay to support local culture. Why will the Prime Minister not stand up and do the same?”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 79 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “unless the Prime Minister grows a proverbial spine”.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we predicted his appointment would be a disaster, and it is. The Prime Minister is once again abandoning Quebec culture because of Washington. The Union des artistes and the entire cultural community spoke out against it in the media on Saturday. Their letter is entitled “Chronicle of a disappearance foretold”, because our culture is sure to disappear unless the Prime Minister grows a proverbial spine. The European Union collects levies from the web giants. It even lets its member states add to them. Why is the Prime Minister incapable of taking a stand?

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Marc Miller

Liberal
“The music and show business group in Quebec supports our funding. Liberals will invest in arts and culture, while the Bloc does nothing to actually help.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 7 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more disastrous than that kind of question, especially coming from someone who was once the president of the Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo, or ADISQ. Earlier, ADISQ said that it was a good investment. We Liberals will invest in culture while the Bloc Québécois members keep pretending to help while doing nothing.

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Yves-François Blanchet

Bloc Québécois
“The arts in Quebec and Canada will lose $3.4 billion because the Prime Minister gives in to the United States. His plan will not fix this, and it threatens Quebec's culture. Why is the Prime Minister giving up on French-Canadian culture?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, at least he prepares his answers. That is $3.4 billion that will be lost in the creative sector in Quebec and Canada. The minister is going to invest $600 million that he is taking directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. He is talking about an announcement he made almost a year ago, before all the disastrous decisions made by the Prime Minister, who is kowtowing to the United States. He is even threatening the very existence of the convention on the diversity of cultural expressions, which originated in Quebec. That I know. I was there when it happened. Why is the Prime Minister giving up on the existence of a distinct French-Canadian culture?

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Marc Miller

Liberal
“We will keep funding Quebec and Canadian culture right now. The member opposite talks about betrayal, but he comes here every day trying to break up the country.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, while my colleague is spouting nonsense and talking about betrayal, we will continue to invest in Quebec and Canadian culture, not by waiting for years but by investing now. It is a bit rich for the member opposite to be talking about betrayal when he shows up in the House of Commons every day to try to destroy the country that I love.

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