CCA BULLETIN / BULLETIN DE LA CCA
CULTURE'S JUST “SQUEAKING BY”
Ottawa , April 20, 2004
“I think that the manifestation of our culture in terms of our identity is absolutely crucial.”
Paul Martin on the subject of the Canadian Television Fund,
Toronto Town Hall , 29 April 2003
Current context
Paul Martin has served as Prime Minister of Canada, and Hélène Chalifour Scherrer as Minister of Canadian Heritage, for 4 months now - perhaps it is time to take stock of where this government stands on support for the arts, heritage and culture.
A spokesman for Hélène Scherrer, the new minister of Canadian Heritage, says the ministry will be a significantly ‘tighter' operation than under Sheila Copps. “I don't think it's going to be the bank that it used to be,”
Alexandre Lanthier said af ter Scherrer was sworn in.
CBC Arts Report, 12 December 2003
Heritage Minister Hélène Scherrer acknowledged that the arts didn't figure prominently in the official 400-page budget document released this week, because it's not a major priority for the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin...
CBC Arts Report, 26 March 2004
There appears to be little understanding of the need for a holistic approach in support for the sector; rather than responding to whichever squeaky wheel is audible at any given time, it behoves the government to look at the “big picture”.
“I asked people in every province what the priority was,” Heritage Minister Hélène Chalifour Scherrer said last night in a phone interview, “and from coast to coast everyone said it was to restore the television fund.”
Feds honour pledge to restore TV fund by Rick Westhead, The Toronto Star, 24 March 2004
“We are going to make sure that downloading stays illegal,” said Hélène Scherrer, a rookie Quebec MP sworn in as minister last December. “We will make it a priority so it is done as quickly as possible.... Now I really know what the music industry is all about ... I am going back to Ottawa with the will to do something.”
Minister vows to fight music file swapping by Keith Damsell, Globe and Mail, 13 April 2004
All aspects of the cultural continuum, from creation and training to production, distribution, preservation and consumption must be considered. It is very important that the federal government understands that it is the whole sector which needs adequate, stable, multi-year funding - not just one element here and there in a “flavour of the week” approach.
Mr Martin's accession to the position of Prime Minister was greeted with considerable fanfare. Rhetoric from the Liberal party may look good on paper, but the reality has been disappointing.
“We will work with parliamentarians to modernize our arts and culture policies and federal cultural institutions”
Liberal policy paper: Great Places to Live: A New Deal for Communities, taken from www.liberal.ca
“A new deal that helps our communities become more dynamic, more culturally rich .... A new deal that delivers reliable, predictable and long-term funding...”
Speech from the Throne
Consider the following:
“We're still (short) a lot of money in arts and culture and we are just trying to invite the private sector to be a partner also,” [Minister Scherrer] said. “It's even been mentioned in the (federal) throne speech culture is an important foundation of Canada , so we really have to make sure there's more money invested in that.”
Feds draw up money for arts by Bill Lay, The Calgary Sun, 28 March 2004
What is needed
What is needed, ultimately, is a comprehensive federal cultural policy, something that is still lacking in this country.
In June 1998, the CCA produced the Final Report of the Working Group on Cultural Policy for the 21st Century, a document which remains just as valid today as when it was written. This report calls for the establishment of a new Department of Canadian Culture and Heritage to address, among other things
the linkage between cultural content and carrier issues; and the key objectives of a Canadian cultural policy framework, including
The report also calls for the newly formed Department to have overall responsibility for creating an environment respectful of and conducive to the work and rights of Canadian creators and artists through revisions to the Copyright Act, the Status of the Artist Act, the Cultural Property Act, and other instruments at the disposition of the state. With a coherent cultural policy in place, the Department would have a framework within which to make policy decisions rather than shooting at each moving target as it comes to the fore.
What you can do
As was clearly stated by several eminent speakers at the CCA 's recent Chalmers Conference, cultural organizations will be heard more clearly if they speak with one voice. First and foremost, what is needed is a commitment by the government to adequate, stable, multi-year funding for the sector as a whole.
Beyond this imperative, there are a number of other issues you might wish to mention. To assist you, CCA is developing backgrounders and questions on a number of key issues together with quantitative and qualitative information, and useful quotes, to help you make the case. Some of this information is already on our website ( www.ccarts.ca , election section); the balance will be added over the next couple of weeks. If cultural issues are raised frequently enough, they are more likely to register on this government's radar screen going into the election.
CCA urges its members to take action now: you can ask a question directly of our Prime Minister by going to the Liberal Party's new website ( www.liberal.ca ), clicking on Paul Martin Times, and then on “Ask Paul a question” (right side of screen).
For more information:
Kevin Desjardins
Communications and Public Relations Manager
(613) 238 3561 ext.11
Fax (613) 238 4849
19/04
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