Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

Madam Speaker, I rise on a matter of urgent and pressing necessity under the provisions of Standing Order 43.

In view of the fact that Canada is suffering from an acute shortage of rental accommodation which seriously affects many families and single parents in urban centres, and since the minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has stated that this problem of rental housing ranks second in priority with his ministry, I move, seconded by the hon. member for Vancouver East (Mrs. Mitchell):

That the House instruct the minister to consider the shortage of rental accommodation as top priority and undertake immediate steps to alleviate the urban rental housing crisis.

Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

During the last few days I have been trying to determine, in question period, the intent of this government concerning certain commitments made by the previous administration on the financing of arts and sports projects from Loto Canada funds. I find the answers to these questions uninformative and unsatisfactory.

On April 22, I asked the Secretary of State and Minister of Communications (Mr. Fox) whether it was his intention to honour the commitment made by his predecessor to provide $4 million toward the conversion of the old court house into Vancouver's art gallery. In reply the minister indicated that such financial pledges were merely campaign commitments and that they were being reviewed as such.

On May 1, I asked the minister responsible for sports or the Secretary of State whether the government intended to cash the $6.4 million cheque that had been sent to the federal government by the provinces as the federal share of Loto Canada funds. In reply the minister responsible for sports indicated that the government did not intend to cash the cheque until the legal position of the agreement between the former administration and the provinces on Loto Canada had been established.

In reply to a supplementary question the Secretary of State

reaffirmed that any decision on the art gallery or similar

projects must await the possible jurisdictional dispute between

the federal government and the provinces over Loto-Canada. We might wait forever. The issue is very simple. Will the government meet the commitments of the former administration and put up the funds for these projects?

I am particularly concerned about the federal financing of the Vancouver art gallery. This cannot be dismissed as a campaign promise. The first request for federal funds for the art gallery was made two years ago to the former Liberal administration. Subsequently, nearly $12 million has been pledged from private donations and municipal and provincial pledges, all awaiting confirmation that the federal government will come through with the promised $4 million. If the federal government money is not forthwith coming we are in the ridiculous position of having to return to the private sector the $5 million that it has contributed for the art gallery.

For the record, I would like to read the chronology of the Vancouver art gallery funding. The timing of events is as follows. In 1978 the gallery requested $4.5 million from the Liberal government. The rationale for this request was that the federal government had made similar grants across the country, particularly for Montreal and for the Ontario art gallery in Toronto. Vancouver was the last major city to be without an adequate facility and it was not unreasonable to request funds from the federal government. The amount of the request was in the order of magnitude of those for other galleries, and it is our turn.

At the same time, in 1978, a request to the provincial government was made for a grant, plus the value of the land on which the old court house stands. Subsequently, Vancouver city committed funds from the sale of the present gallery site.

In 1979 the gallery went public to raise $2.5 million. The very successful "Take the art gallery to court" campaign was launched and actually raised $5 million from the enthusiastic citizens of Vancouver between April and August of 1979, of which $2.5 million was set aside for the purchase of Canadian art.

In January, 1980, the former secretary of state, David MacDonald, announced a grant totalling $4 million in the form of $1 million per year. At the end of March, 1980, the provincial government committed $2 million, contingent on federal government funds.

We now have a situation where nearly $12 million has been pledged for both the gallery and the art bank, all awaiting confirmation of the federal government's $4 million. The delay is costly. A conservative estimate is that the delay is costing us about $100,000 per month.

If the art gallery does not go ahead, Vancouver will lose employment opportunities in cultural industries, a show case for major exhibits, such as the King Tut exhibit which attracts tourists, $2.5 million in grants for the art bank, $2.5 million in private pledges, $2 million from the provincial government, the site of the old court house, and $4.6 million from the city of Vancouver.

May 5, 1980

Surely, Mr. Speaker, the time has come to end this uncertainty and proceed with this project now while these pledges are available.

Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Public Works. In view of his answer in this House this morning, would he explain why in the Vancouver Sun earlier this week he is quoted as saying that he identifies the problem of rental housing as second in urgency?

Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

Madam Speaker, 1 rise on a matter of urgent and pressing necessity under the provisions of Standing Order 43.

Since companies which receive grants under the Canadian book publishing program do not have to show how these

moneys are spent, and since the Secretary of State has already issued a cheque for nearly $300,000 to Macmillan of Canada under this program, 1 move, seconded by the hon. member for Hillsborough (Mr. McMillan):

That this House instruct the minister to take immediate steps to ensure that the money will be used for the aggressive promotion and marketing of Canadian books now that the company has been sold to Gage Educational Publishing.

Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

Madam Speaker, I have a question for either the minister responsible for sports or the Secretary of State.

Since the provinces have given the federal government a $6.4 million cheque as its share of Loto Canada, and since the cheque remains uncashed-at an interest loss of about $3,000 a day-would either minister advise the House whether the government intends to cash the cheque and distribute the funds to arts and sports in the manner agreed upon by the previous government?