Yes, it is a whole different debate and it kind of goes to the crux of this issue for me. There’s the issue of getting $5,000 from a company and putting their logo on a sign at an event. This is a different issue, in my mind, where conceivably, because we don’t know yet what’s going to happen, but every time somebody opens up this iPad that a corporate logo is going to pop up or a corporate name is going to pop up, or every time they turn the iPad over they’re going to see a corporate logo pasted on the back of the material or the iPad. I see that as very different from a one time or even a repeated event of a logo on a sign. The books for De Beers, I mean, yes, the books are given away in a bag that says De Beers on it, but I don’t believe – I can’t remember totally – but I don’t think the books all have De Beers emblazoned all over them, and if they do, I would have a bit of a problem with that.
It is a very different debate but it’s not a debate that we’ve had, and I think, as Members, maybe we ought to have that debate. I don’t know that the government should be making these decisions around corporate sponsorship without the input of Regular Members. That said, bottom line for me is if we have to, and I appreciate partnerships to get events done, but if we have to start canvassing corporate partners or corporations to get funding to run our programs and services, I think we are headed down a very difficult road and a very dangerous road. If we can’t properly fund our programs and services without getting money from whether it’s big business or little business, and it doesn’t matter – to go to the Minister’s suggestion – whether it’s an oil company or whether it’s a food company. I have a problem with the fact that it is in the face of children particularly, but in the face of residents constantly, and if we can’t fund our programs and services properly, then we shouldn’t be asking corporations for it. We should be asking taxpayers to fund our programs and services properly.
It’s a very mixed bag answer, but it is because it is a very difficult debate and I would again encourage the government to consider having that debate with the Regular Members.