2006 CCA Bulletins
February 16, 2006
In this
issue:
CRTC
HEARING ON COMMERCIAL RADIO POLICY
The Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be holding a public hearing on its 1998 Commercial Radio Policy in Gatineau, Québec on May 15, 2006. The deadline for interventions is March 15 and the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) intends to participate in this very important debate. See: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/
Commercial radio has traditionally been cast as one of the important players in the development and promotion of the Canadian music industry, both in terms of airplay and of money dedicated to talent development. The recent decision of the CRTC to allow satellite radio in Canada and the conditions of licence attached to this decision have raised serious questions about the current system of Canadian content regulation and financial support. It is the CCA's conviction that the upcoming hearings have a very important significance for the long-established system of nurturing and developing Canadian musical talent, a system which has led to so many exceptional talents being recognized not only nationally but internationally.
The CCA has engaged Garry Neil to help the Secretariat prepare our intervention. In the process of defining its position, the CCA is seeking input from all stakeholders in this important sector of Canadian culture. We therefore ask all of our members who have views on this issue or who intend to intervene in this hearing to contact us as soon as possible so that we can analyze the various viewpoints and formulate a pertinent intervention in front of the CRTC. Please contact either me or Garry directly to exchange information and help formulate positions, either by phone at (613) 238-3561, ext. 12, or by email at alain.pineau@ccarts.ca. or for Garry, at (416) 604-3326 or garry@neilcraigassociates.com
The CCA's Policy and Advocacy Committee will review the final intervention, which must be filed by March 15.
JAMES ABBOTT, NEW PARLIAMENTARY
SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE
In Bulletin 09/06, the CCA reported on the announcement of the Hon. Bev Oda as the new Minister of Canadian Heritage. Late last week, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper revealed his choices for Parliamentary Secretaries and the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage is James Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia, BC). The CCA congratulates Mr. Abbott on his appointment and looks forward to resuming a working relationship with him and his staff.
According to the PMO website, "James Abbott was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993, and re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006. Most recently, he was Critic for Sport and has been Critic for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, for Canadian Heritage, and for the Solicitor General. He also served on many Standing Committees".
Other key Parliamentary Secretary appointments to Ministries, whose policies impact the arts and culture sector, include:
- Parliamentary Secretaries to the Prime
Minister: Jason Kenney and Sylvie Boucher
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Finance: Diane Ablonczy
- Parliamentary Secretaries to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs: Deepak Obhrai and Peter Van Loan
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Justice and Attorney General of Canada: Rob Moore
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Human Resources and Social Development: Lynne Yelich
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Industry: Colin Carrie
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of International Trade: Helena Guergis
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Justice and Attorney General of Canada: Rob Moore
- Parliamentary Secretary to the President
of Treasury Board: Pierre Pollievre
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities: Brian Jean
Full bios for all new Parliamentary Secretary appointments are available at: http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/new_team_1.asp. It appears that though Ministers were named to Cabinet on February 6 for Labour and for National Revenue, no Parliamentary Secretaries have been specifically assigned to these departments.
LE
BLOC QUEBECOIS AND THE NDP ANNOUNCE THEIR RESPECTIVE "SHADOW
CABINET" CRITICS FOR CANADIAN HERITAGE
On February 10, Monsieur Gilles Duceppe announced le Bloc Quebecois' Shadow Cabinet for the upcoming 39 th Parliament of Canada and MP Maka Kotto (Saint-Lambert QC) will return as le Bloc's critic for Canadian Heritage. The CCA congratulates Mr. Kotto on his appointment and looks forward to resuming a working relationship with him and his staff.
Monsieur Kotto was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and is a well-recognized actor, writer, comedian, and director in Quebec. He served as the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage during the previous minority government. Further background information on Monsieur Kotto is available, in French only, at: http://www.blocquebecois.org/fr/equipe_detail.asp?ID=137
Information regarding the full membership of le Bloc Quebecois' Shadow Cabinet is available, in French only, at:
http://www.blocquebecois.org/archivage/com_duceppe_cabinetfantome_061006.pdf
On February 14, the Hon. Jack Layton announced the NDP's Shadow Cabinet and MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, ON) will return as the NDP's critic for Canadian Heritage. The CCA congratulates Mr. Angus on his appointment and looks forward to resuming a working relationship with him and his staff.
Mr. Angus was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and had the responsibility of being the NDP critic for both the departments of Agriculture and Canadian Heritage. He is an author, broadcaster, and musician -- notably as a member of the Juno-nominated Grievous Angels – and in 1999, he was honoured for "Outstanding Contribution to Northern Culture" at the Festival Boreal in Sudbury. Further background information on Mr. Angus is available at http://www.ndp.ca/charlieangus
It is expected that a Liberal Shadow Cabinet announcement will be made soon, though CCA's February 15 inquiry to the office of Interim Liberal Leader the Hon. Bill Graham remains unanswered as of this writing. CCA will continue to report on future Parliamentary developments, including the eventual formation of the new Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and the April 4 Speech from the Throne, via our bulletins once any details are made public.
The Canadian Conference of the Arts is the country's largest assembly of individuals and organizations engaged in arts and cultural issues, whose combined numbers represent close to a quarter of a million Canadians. As a non-partisan organization that strives to contribute to the unique character of Canadian society in the cultural sector, the CCA works with all political parties and MPs represented in the House of Commons.
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