CCA BULLETIN / BULLETIN DE LA CCA
CCA GETS TO KNOW ITS NEIGHBOURS, THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA
Ottawa , June 11, 2004 - The Canadian Conference of the Arts shares the same Ottawa office building with the Conservative Party of Canada (we're on the 8 th floor at 130 Albert and they're on the 17 th , for anyone keeping track). Given this, we made several efforts leading up to the federal election to introduce ourselves to our neighbours in order to tell them of the importance of the work that CCA and its individual and organizational members do, and to learn more about the new party and their policies.
We are not the only ones to find the current incarnation of the Conservative Party something of an enigma. For instance, a June 9th Globe and Mail editorial referred to a “hidden agenda” due to the party's lack of clarity on a number of issues. In addition, their platform budget highlights the tax cuts the party is proposing, but doesn't identify where the corresponding cuts in government spending will be made.
In an attempt to elicit specific answers to our questions, CCA has now held a
proper “conversation” with the Conservatives, in the form of various telephone calls and emails over the past couple of weeks. Most noteworthy are the answers to four questions posed to senior Conservative policy advisors, which are included below, unedited. The party's responses cast light on their shadowy position on arts and culture funding and policy, since their official platform makes no mention of it whatsoever.
CCA : “Would a Conservative government commit to renewal of the funding envelope for culture which has been known as ‘Tomorrow Starts Today'? This was a $560 million, three year initiative announced by the Liberals in May 2001; it was renewed for a further year (fiscal 2004-05). It includes additional monies for the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. While there is no confirmation currently that this is ongoing funding, government spokespeople have indicated that it is the Liberals' intention to renew the full funding envelope in the fall.”
CONSERVATIVE
PARTY : “Our platform
includes a commitment for the Auditor General to conduct an extensive
audit of all federal granting programs to determine value for money, and we
will act on her recommendations. And we will ensure that all granting
programs are reviewed every five years on an ongoing basis. The Auditor
General will be given the authority to examine the af
fairs of Crown Corporations and
government-funded Foundations.”
CCA : “With regard to Canada Council and the CBC , your (earlier) comment was that no mention in the platform indicates status quo for funding – can you confirm that this would include the additional monies which had been provided to these particular institutions under the ‘Tomorrow Starts Today' funding?”
CONSERVATIVE PARTY : “As said above, under our platform, funding in these areas would be subject to the same scrutiny by the Auditor General as funding in any other government program.”
CCA : “In the Speech from the Throne (February 2004), the Liberal government announced it would ‘continue its leadership in the creation of a new international instrument on cultural diversity' – would a Conservative government also commit to this?”
CONSERVATIVE PARTY : “We will review the commitments made by the present government. Our general approach will be to respect any binding commitments that have been made, but we reserve the right to review those decisions to ensure they are in the best interests of Canadians.”
CCA : “Where does the Conservative Party stand on the issue of foreign ownership of Canadian broadcasting companies and Canadian content? The Liberal government has been divided on this issue with the Standing Committee on Industry issuing a report on the side of opening up ownership, and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage promoting continuing protections against foreign ownership and in support of greater Canadian content.”
CONSERVATIVE PARTY : “We will continue to review these issues upon forming government, taking into account the reports of standing committees. We have confidence in the ability of Canadian artists to compete internationally.”
Given these responses, CCA feels obliged to borrow a page from the Conservative party's election campaign and echo their slogan, as we too “demand better” – of you!
GETTING ARTS AND CULTURE ON THE ELEC TION AGENDA
CCA has learned that arts and culture will not be one of the topics discussed at the televised leaders' debates next June 14 th (in French) and June 15 th (in English) , even though they will be held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. However, there are upcoming all-candidates' debates focussing on culture in some areas of the country:
Fredericton : June 15th, Fredericton Arts Alliance town hall meeting on the arts and culture (further details TBA)
Toronto : Toronto Media Festivals Network debate, June 16th, 8:30 pm at the Gladstone Hotel ( 1214 Queen Street West , at Gladstone )
Halifax : June 22nd, 7:30 pm at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Dalhousie Arts Centre ( 6101 University Avenue )
For more information of culture-based election events, see www.ccarts.ca .
CCA asks its individual and organizational members in these regions to actively participate in these debates and to be in contact with Kevin Desjardins at kevin.desjardins@ccarts.ca should you know of any other meetings focussing on arts and cultural issues in the next few weeks.
Additionally, Toronto ACTRA is appealing to its members, to voters, and to politicians to “Put arts on the agenda”. Everyone is welcome to attend a news conference on Wednesday, June 16 th aimed at raising the profile of arts and cultural issues in the current federal election. CCA echoes ACTRA's plea for people to, “Be a little louder about the importance of Canadian culture, of protecting it, and supporting our artists”. The event will begin at 11:00 AM in the Barbara Frum Atrium of the CBC building at 250 Front St. West . Come out and join actors Sarah Polley, Gary Farmer, Sonja Smits, Wendy Crewson, Mag Ruffman, Shirley Douglas, Rick Roberts and more. Further information can be found at www.actratoronto.com/home/artsagenda_04.htm
RENOWNED CANADIAN WRITER MARGARET ATWOOD SOUNDS OFF ON FEDERAL ELECTION
Many of you may have already read Margaret Atwood's June 9th opinion piece in the Globe and Mail, entitled "The arts go marching one by one: Which candidates are serving up nourishing cultural policies?". If you have yet to do so, or would like to have another read through Ms. Atwood's sincere yet sardonic prose, you can find a link to it at www.ccarts.ca in the “What's New” section. Other news pieces about arts and cultural issue are linked here as well, including a great June 10 th editorial by Todd Babiak published in the Edmonton Journal.
www.actratoronto.com/home/artsagenda_04.htm and a CBC Radio interview with CCA National Director Megan Davis Williams.
VOTE FOR A STRONGER CBC
Our Public Airwaves, an initiative of concerned Canadians who believe in a strong public broadcasting system, is alerting Canadians to the real possibility of a weakened CBC. Based on comments from Stephen Harper a few weeks ago (where he suggested commercializing parts of CBC's radio and television network), and the general lack of interest in increased funding for the organization from the Liberal party over the past few years, OPA is asking concerned citizens to send an electronic postcard to the major party leaders. You can obtain the postcard on the campaign website at www.supportCBC.ca
TWO COUNCILS PROVIDE ARTS ADVOCACY ASSISTANCE
The Canada Council for the Arts has unveiled a new section on its website: the Advocacy Resource Kit. This is a comprehensive guide outlining the why and what (not the how) of arts advocacy, providing numerous examples. The arguments are made in chapters based on disciplinary sub-sectors (writing and publishing, sound recording, performing arts, etc.) and on sectoral issues (new technologies, communities, cultural diversity, education).
The Council of Canadians, as part of their ongoing "The Canada We Want" campaign, has initiated an election from on arts funding on its website. We encourage all CCA members to take a look and initiate or participate in a dialogue. This is proving an election like no other in recent memory -- never has it been so important for the voice of the arts and cultural sector to be heard! Join in here: http://discussions.canadians.org/viewtopic.php?t=80
For more information:
Kevin Desjardins
Communications and Public Relations Manager
(613) 238 3561 ext.11
Fax (613) 238 4849
28/04
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