Arts Funding Major Issue for Upcoming Election

As Canada, like the U.S., prepares for a federal election this fall, the issue of arts funding has become an important topic on the campaign trail.  

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080924.welxnarts0924/BNStory/politics

 

From CTV.ca; Conservative Leader Stephen Harper defended slashing $45 million from the arts budget and dismissed mounting criticism by calling it a “niche” issue that doesn’t resonate with “ordinary” Canadians. In his strongest statements to date over the cuts, Harper said regular Canadians see a “bunch of people, you know, at a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren’t high enough, when they know those subsidies have actually gone up.”

 

This demonstrated particularly poor timing on the Prime Minister’s behalf given his wife is the Chair of the National Arts Centre Gala, which is scheduled for next week. The day following the PM’s revelation, the National Arts Centre released a statement saying that Canada’s
”First Lady” will not be attending this year’s Gala.

 

~Mark