CCA BULLETIN / BULLETIN DE LA CCA
PRE -BUDGET CONSULTATIONS ON HOLD
Ottawa , July 13 th , 2004 - The latest rumours indicate that the new Parliament will not sit until early October. This means that the current tentative schedule for pre-Budget submissions has been thrown out the window. According to the Clerk of the Standing Committee on Finance, Richard Dupuis, the Standing Order under which the committee currently operates (83.1) requires the committee to present its recommendations to the Minister of Finance at the end of November, which means pre-budget consultations (normally lasting for 5-6 weeks) would have to be held beforehand.
However, there is no requirement for a government to bring down a budget in February, and a close source indicated a minority government might wish to delay a budget by a few months. In any event, no decision regarding the pre-Budget consultations can be made until after the Prime Minister announces his Cabinet, expected at the end of this week. Once it is available, information on the new schedule will be posted on the committee's web page at www.parl.gc.ca/FINA-e .
Despite the delay in the pre-Budget consultations, CCA has begun drafting its own submission to the Standing Committee on Finance (see CCA bulletin #26/04, Getting the Message Out ).
The submission's main recommendations will be
CCA will continue to push for decisive action to improve the financial situation for artists and cultural organizations. This year's submission will be crafted around the booklet by Silver Donald Cameron ( The Art of Development and the Development of Art: A Powerful Partnership – Business, Community and the Arts ), recently published by the CCA in partnership with the Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program*. It will emphasise that stable, adequate, multi-year government support, in the form of a renewal and increase of the Tomorrow Starts Today (or equivalent) funding, is essential for a healthy cultural sector.
If you have thoughts, comments or suggestions to add to CCA's submission, please forward them to Philippa Borgal ( philippa.borgal@ccarts.ca ) or James Missen ( james.missen@ccarts.ca ) by the end of July.
In addition, CCA urges its members, especially arts service organizations, to make their own written submissions - the more voices the Finance Committee hears from the cultural community, the stronger the message. If any group wishes to join CCA in Ottawa to make its presentation, please contact James Missen at 613 238 3561 ext.14, as soon as possible. (While we have made such requests in the past, we caution that the Committee Clerk is not always able to accommodate them.)
There seems to be little consensus as to how government will function in a minority situation. Some see a much stronger role for MPs and for parliamentary committees, while others believe the real power will be consolidated within the Privy Council Office. A former PCO Clerk was quoted as saying that “top civil servants will have bigger workloads, experience more frustration on the job, and need the patience of angels to get through most days”, a sentiment reiterated by a recent article in the Toronto Star ( Tough times in the civil service by Graham Fraser, 12 July 2004).
Minority governments tend to stay away from making controversial decisions, or taking action which might rock the boat resulting in a vote of non-confidence. There will undoubtedly be another election within two years, and all parties have depleted funds at present, so stability (which might be seen as stagnation by some) is possible for the immediate future.
*The book, available in English and in French, is available from the CCA.
For more information:
Kevin Desjardins
Communications and Public Relations Manager
(613) 238 3561 ext.11
Fax (613) 238 4849
34/04
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