CCA BULL ETIN / BULLETIN DE LA CCA
ADVOCACY ALERT !
IT'S TIME TO ADVOCATE AGAIN FOR THE RENEWAL OF FUNDING
Ottawa , September 15 th , 2004
The Issue
The renewal of the funding for the cultural sector is again up for discussion.
As the opening of Parliament draws closer (4 October), CCA alerts its members to the fact that this fall will also see the start of the process to renew the funding (originally called Tomorrow Starts Today) for the cultural sector.
The process to receive Cabinet approval has always been fairly lengthy and cumbersome, but it was changed – “streamlined” according to some sources – last December. In a nutshell, this is how it works:
• The Operations Committee
The newly-formed Operations Committee of Cabinet, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, acts as the gatekeeper for Cabinet, and is the first stage of the process. Government departments submit a two page issue brief to this Committee in the first instance; only once the brief has received a green light here can a full Memo to Cabinet proceed up the ladder. Mme Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage, is a member of this Committee.
• The Domestic Affairs Committee
The full Memo to Cabinet is introduced first to the Domestic Affairs Committee (Liza Frulla is Vice-Chair) which has to approve it before it can go to the full Cabinet.
• Cabinet
The Memo finally makes its way to the full Cabinet for discussion. All this takes time, and there is no indication at the moment of when the final Memo to Cabinet will go forward.
A complete listing of ministers who serve on the above-mentioned Cabinet committees can be found at www.pco-bcp.gc.ca ; go to Information Resources, Cabinet Committee Mandates and Membership.
Later this week, representatives from the Department of Canadian Heritage start a series of invitation-only cross-country sessions with provincial counterparts and a number of key stakeholders to discuss how the programmes have worked over the past four years, and what can be done to improve the terms and conditions, and delivery mechanisms.
DCH is currently working on drawing up the issue brief and the Memo to Cabinet; the latter might only receive its finishing touches following the Speech from the Throne on 5 October in order to assure that any new government objectives are reflected in the DCH document. Should the document be accepted by Cabinet this autumn, DCH then needs to go to Treasury Board to renew the terms and conditions for the programmes, which currently expire at the end of March 2005.
In other words: this is a lengthy process with all government departments vying for Cabinet approval, and the cultural sector needs to put its weight behind the efforts of DCH .
The Actions :
• Contact your local MP, your regional Minister, and other decision-makers at the federal level, providing them with the key messages (see below). Ensure they are aware of the importance of this reinvestment and the consequences of non-investment, particularly as it relates to their constituency.
• Ensure your members/audiences are aware of the need for this reinvestment in the cultural sector, and the consequences of non-investment, particularly as it relates to quality of life.
• Use the Advocacy Primer developed by the CCA during the recent election campaign for suggestions for further action. (The Primer is available at http://www.ccarts.ca/en/advocacy/publications/toolkits/index.html#howtoadvocacy )
With Parliament gearing up for the start of a new session, and the process for renewal of the funding about to begin, now is the time for CCA members to contact their MPs, regional ministers, and other influential decision-makers, with a view to emphasizing just how important this funding is to the sector. This is especially necessary in a minority government situation when the next election might only be a couple of years' away.
The Messages :
• The quality and quantity of the arts in Canada will decline without a strong commitment for ongoing support from the federal government.
• Investing in the arts brings huge social and economic returns to our communities.
• Cuts to arts programs, or uncertainty of delivery, undermine the ability of arts and cultural groups to leverage additional support.
The Follow-up :
It is important for those planning to submit pre-Budget briefs to ensure these also make strong arguments for renewal of the funding.
A letter/email campaign to key ministers followed by cogent arguments in the pre-Budget submissions, will ensure a solid one-two punch in support of the funding. CCA has yet to hear when the pre-Budget consultations will take place. Our own submission will be available on our website in the near future; key recommendations include:
• The requirement for stable, reliable funding for the sector.
• A full-scale examination of self-employment in Canada , and in particular in the cultural sector, with particular emphasis on making social benefits available to these individuals.
• Income averaging for the self-employed.
• A tax exemption for artists' income.
CCA would appreciate receiving copies of members' advocacy letters/emails to MPs re the renewal of the funding, and of any pre-Budget submissions which may be submitted.
For more information:
Kevin Desjardins
Communications and Public Relations Manager
(613) 238 3561 ext.11
Fax (613) 238 4849
41/04
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