A man who criticizes the Trudeau government for supporting Ukraine abruptly interrupted a press briefing by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez on Friday morning in Montreal. An incident that is reminiscent of the altercation suffered by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland at the end of August in Alberta.
This time, the protester managed to enter the press conference by pretending to be a journalist. As soon as the minister spoke, the man stood up and filmed himself accusing the Canadian government of fueling “a nuclear war” by refusing to negotiate with the Russians. The man was escorted out by the minister’s press secretary and the staff of the Lion d’Or cabaret, where the announcement took place.
Even if Minister Rodriguez remained impassive, this new incident still raises questions around the safety of federal elected officials. Unlike their colleagues in Quebec, federal government ministers are not automatically accompanied by security personnel.
The elected official expressed concern that this type of event occurs more and more often during political outings. But he also said he was hesitant about the idea of a bodyguard following him permanently, fearing that it would create a distance between him and the population.
“I didn’t feel threatened. On the other hand, it is true that it raises an important point: online hate does not stay online. Online hate is real hate,” he argued, recalling the importance of passing a bill to counter misinformation on social media.
10 million for culture
Friday’s press conference was not originally supposed to focus on this issue: the federal Minister of Heritage had come to announce $10 million in aid for 59 projects supporting workers in the Canadian cultural sector. About 20% of the amount will go to Quebec organizations, and some $5 million will be donated to groups working across Canada, added Pablo Rodriguez.
The minister also acknowledged that the cultural community has been more shaken than others by the pandemic. ” [Les projets soutenus] respond to the concrete. It responds to real challenges, such as financial management, mental health, legal assistance, career transition. Our goal is to give a helping hand to those who enrich our lives,” he explained.
On the industry side, it is hoped that this aid will make it possible to retain workers and attract new ones in the midst of a labor shortage. According to Ottawa, the performing arts sector had nearly 61,000 jobs at the start of the year, 13% less than before the pandemic.
This additional $10 million is part of Canada’s Live Entertainment Worker Resilience Fund, which totals $60 million. The Alternative Music Scenes of Quebec (SMAQ), the SOCAN Foundation and the Professional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec are among the beneficiaries of the second part of this aid fund.
The IATSE, a union that represents stage technicians, has the largest investment, $900,000, followed by the Artists’ Foundation, which has totaled $800,000 in aid.