We heard this from witnesses who appeared before the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, when the lump sum is paid and the individual spends it all, it is usually the family that ends up paying for that individual's education, rehabilitation or living expenses. The same is not true for a colonel who receives it at age 40 or 45. Of course, for people 30 or 40 years older, it could be worthwhile, but for a young person who receives the maximum amount of $280,000 at 22 or 23 years old, it is not enough. Based on certain reports, it seems that the lump sum payment was not enough for some young people. member for Québec circulated a petition that was signed by over 6,000 Quebeckers. The Bloc Québécois is calling for changes in that respect.
Of course, the lump sum payment is a very important issue. I am not going into pedagogy, because it was boring then and it is boring today. If I want my students to have something physically in front of them, how do I overcome this liability that I will incur the moment I stand up in front of the class and say, “Hey, isn't this really great? You know that guy he had great ideas, and let us take a look at it” and go on from there. However, if I copy a page out of the book, I am in trouble. Is that the way you want me to conduct my teaching?” “Well, we cannot afford to get sued.” I would not get sued if I referred to a book. “I have got a piece of chalk and a blackboard. My principal, before I became one, said to me, “Do not go copying any of this stuff. It introduces a dangerously imprecise concept of education that I talked about a few moments ago, and fair dealing, because according to the bar association, one can expect several cases of litigation, given the way the bill is written, on education alone. The Bloc Québécois obviously voted against the bill the government introduced in 2009 to take money away from artists.
He says he is helping them, but he is not. We see that the minister is twisting words and passing himself off as someone who is helping artists. The Liberals had announced a $150 million increase, which was then reduced to $30 million. It was not an increase so much as a cut to the increase previously announced by the Liberals. I do not know whether it is unparliamentary to use the word “error”, but the fact remains that the Bloc voted in favour of the Conservatives May 10 budget that included a 20% increase. Yesterday, in the House, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages said that on May 10, 2006, the Bloc had voted against the Conservatives' budget, which included a 20% increase in the Canada Council's budget, but that is an error. The government says it is helping artists, but it is not putting its words into action. The approach in this bill is disheartening.