Is Canadian Culture Important? Harper Says NO
Apparently Harper, who likely enjoys paint by numbers and took lessons as a child to learn how to play the radio, doesn't recognize the economic and other benefits of investing in the arts.
I'll tell you what's wrong with cutting funding for Arts and Culture.
According to a 2001-02 Statistics Canada report, with an investment of $6.8 billion from three levels of government, the arts and culture sector directly employed 740,000 people and generated $26 billion for the economy.
The arts and culture sector employs as many people as the combined sectors of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil, gas and utilities.
"Slashing funds for cultural activities, both domestic and abroad, is damaging to the fabric of our country and further jeopardizes Canada's international reputation," said Ms. May. "This move appears to be more about extending the government's long tentacles of control into the area of cultural expression, but this move will backfire on Canada. Mr. Harper is slashing the arts in cynical attempt to win votes from a base he mis-reads. Most Canadians want to support a vibrant arts community."
CBC: Cultural groups blast additional federal arts cuts
After mostly silence (save for brief statements from department spokesmen) this week, Heritage Minister Josée Verner defended the Trade Routes and PromArt decisions in an interview with the French arm of Canadian Press on Thursday.
"What's being considered … is to examine how we can create a new program or new avenues that will be more efficient and with a stronger impact for our culture abroad," Verner said.
This quote above is interesting. The Cons Heritage Minister says they are seeking better efficiency, but dismantling a working program to possible recreate it at some point in the future seems fairly inefficient to me.
TheStar.com: Tories cut five more arts programs
"The opposition seems to be accusing us of having an agenda to see that the arts is funded to a lesser extent on an ideological basis, and I can say that's not the case (because) we are spending more on the arts than the Liberal government," said Kory Teneycke, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's director of communications.
The above quote is typical of the Harper Tories. Defend their actions by saying the Liberals are worse. This redirect won't work this time, because cutting tens of millions of dollars in funding can't be defended by implying that Liberals might cut even more. They aren't the ones in power cutting funding. The Harper Tories are, and no amount of blame-shifting or weak excuses will change this.
National Post: Frustration builds over federal cultural cuts
"These cuts are shocking and short-sighted, and they certainly aren't business friendly," wrote Waddell in a statement. "Support for arts and culture are among the most efficient investments a government can make. "
Investing in the arts stimulates the economy. Let's say an artist receives a grant to tour. They then need to rent vehicles, buy plane tickets, pay for meals eat at restaurants, stay at hotels and so on. Their shows are at venues which employ people. The public gets dressed up, maybe in nice new clothes, and drive their vehicle (or even better use public transit ;) and pay for parking to go out for dinner and a show to see the artist. I could go, and I know I'm missing some steps, but I think you probably get the picture.
globeandmail.com: Ottawa to axe five more arts and culture programs
Canadian Heritage Minister Josée Verner defended the cuts saying the government only wanted to help arts and culture organizations in a more efficient manner and those being axed failed to demonstrate that they were providing sufficient returns for the dollars invested.
"Culture is an essential element of the identity of a nation and in that sense, will always have its unfailing support," she said.
So it's like that. "I'm hurting you because I love you." If this is what the Harper Tories call "unfailing support", I'd hate to see what they call closed-minded, ideologically based pigheadedness.
Defending these actions on the basis that a program "failed to demonstrate that they were providing sufficient returns for the dollars invested" is ludicrous. The government has done no studies to confirm that there were insufficient returns on dollars invested. Due to the supposed failure to demonstrate, the Tories think they then have a right to act without investigating or checking if their assumptions are correct. Shouldn't this action be based on something more substantial? If they actually proved that there were insufficient returns on dollars invested that would mean something, but there's no proof of that. Instead they say there was a failure by the programs to prove their worth. Shouldn't the government have to prove the inefficiency of a program before they axe it? This is sort of a "it's your fault for not proving your worth to us" kind of an angle.
Tories decimating culture funding
Asked to explain the cuts, the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Kory Teneycke, suggested some of the funding choices made by the programs were inappropriate, and said money was going to fringe art groups that in many cases would be at best, unrepresentative, and at worst, offensive.
The government is cutting cultural programs to please its ideological base. The Conservatives still don't understand that in a free and democratic country, artists should be able to create without fear and what they deserve is help from our leaders, not threats.
During the Conservative tenure, arts and culture has seen its importance diminish and be marginalized by cuts or ideological attacks over and over. Funding for cultural infrastructure, like community museums and cultural promotion has suffered, but freedom of creation has also been under attack, as seen with the debate on bill C-10 and censorship.
We are witnessing true Conservative ideology at work here. They are cancelling, one by one, programs that don't fit their mindset and culture is taking the biggest hit. Worst, hundreds of artists, creators and organization are left in the dark as to which programs will be cancelled next.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Arts & Culture - UsefulStats.pdf | 479.13 KB |
| Stats Can - Economic contribution of culture in Canada.pdf | 316.77 KB |
- Cameron Wigmore's blog
- Login to post comments
Search
Email Updates:
Media Releases
- Media Release | 07-Feb-2010
- Statement | 05-Feb-2010
- Media Release | 05-Feb-2010
Comments
Sorry Cameron
I think I will try to keep it brief as I dont want all of you thinking I am that conservative but
I for one can come up with many better uses for 6.8 billion dollars but hey as someone who didn't go see the vagina chronicles or those guys who did theatrical stunts with their penis's something puppets ??(probably with liberal federal grant money) I will just point out the obvious to me and stay out of the artist welfare issue because no where does it ever say harper is banning the arts by asking them to finance their own craft parties.
What jumps up at me thinking I know a little of how he seems to operate or likes to seem to do things ...
what is said by this move to me is only one thing really.
If harper is doing this now...the middle of summer..the glaring thing in all of it for me is as I said one thing
HARPER IS RUNNING THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW ...... IN THE RED !!!!!
I make you a bet!!
He is quickly cutting seepage......
Who ever wins the next one will find a big hole in the so called money we aren't supposed to notice disappearing as we cut the Gst and shrink real jobs
and these things happen while a half a trillion dollars is quickly earmarked to be given to American war contractors for our armed forces
Sorry I would tighten up the so called culture budget as well if it really is 6.8 billion dollars as I don't see many of Canada's cultures being trumpeted...really!
6.8 BILLION ??????
I realize 3 medals in the Olympics may be worth a billion to some of you ...it isn't to me...havent watched a minute...
I dont know what is spent on that party for the elite but I dont condone it not by a very long shot!!!
I know it isn't about the medals....oh no...not at all...see below for the real reasons blah blah
no...its about the medals
LOL
Have a nice night!
humbug I know
(disclaimer:do not be confused and think shavluk is the green party talking...hahha)
http://ridings.greenparty.ca/article285.html?&MMN_...
juror.ca
endprohibition@telus.net
Arts Funding: Good For Economy - Bad For Conservatives Sleep
Here's another great article.
From the Vue (Edmonton)
http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=9176
"...The Tories—not exactly the biggest fans of cultural expression that doesn’t involve loud engines or squeaky clean, white-picket-fence sensibilities—revealed their ideological bias and myopic view of what constitutes culture in an internal party memo which was leaked to the media. It decried federal funding going to such patently offensive miscreants as “a left-wing and anti-globalization think-tank,” “a general radical,” and a band which uses—ladies, kids, cover your ears—a swear word in its name.
Of course, grants were also provided to support a tour of Inuit art, a ballet theatre from Atlantic Canada, a dance troupe from Québec and some 300 other Canadian cultural initiatives.
An anonymous government source stated that the programs were cut because funding “went to groups that would raise the eyebrows of any typical Canadian,” which ignores the fact that a few eyebrows would likely go up about the fact that significant sums of our miserly foreign aid budget goes to help perfectly profitable businesses make more money overseas and contributes to multilateral institutions whose programs have been starving and displacing people in the Global South for decades. Let’s take a closer look at those programs, shall we?..."
- - -
Meanwhile, Harper has made sure that the arts & culture supporting province of Quebec knows it is loved by the Tories. In an announcement made Saturday, they stated that "...Canadians will have the opportunity to learn about military music, its traditions, and its history at the 10th Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada..."
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Canadian-H...
This is more proof that the Conservatives are making strategic cuts to programs that supposedly 'upset' their voter base, while maintaining cultural funding for a military cultural event in a province where they are desperately trying to gain support.
- - -
To John,
Thanks for your comments. I don't think Harper expected to be running Canada for this long, and he's likely running a deficit budget. This would explain the short term band-aid solution of cutting funding to various programs. Since it's the Conservatives, I understand why they're targeting the arts; a perceived worthlessness of funding arts.
You said, "...I will just point out the obvious to me and stay out of the artist welfare issue because no where does it ever say harper is banning the arts by asking them to finance their own craft parties...."
Here's a reply to that argument that I spotted online:
"...If the slogan is "if they were any good, people would buy their stuff and they wouldn't need help" then here is what I propose: Immediately end funding for farmers, the manufacturing industries, forestry, technological research firms and resource extraction and all other non-urban economies. Cut the commercial attaches at the embassies. End the preferential import/export duties that protect farmers. End special breaks for the oil sands and lumber industries. If their stuff was any good, people would buy it, and they wouldn't need the help..."
And before you reply stating that 'those other industries gainfully employ Canadians and stimulate the economy', remember that the arts do as well.
Another issue here is that Harper is making cuts to the arts and defending them on a moral basis, just as you have above. Not only is your sensationalistic example a distraction from the subject, but your logic is faulty; there are thousands of artists in Canada who don't speak of their privates. To use that as an example is to place your moral judgment on a specific artist, and use that as the basis for attacking Canadian cultural & arts funding overall.
If Canada was a theocracy, we'd do what our leader told us was morally correct, and our leader would try to eliminate anything seen and immoral. But Canada is not a theocracy. We enjoy freedom of religion and expression.
Again I have to remind you that investing in the arts stimulates the economy. It's an economic driver. Engaging in artistic and cultural events also contributes to the overall well-being of a society.
- - - - -
The blog section of the GPC website is a place for GPC members to share their personal opinions and views. The views I express here are my own and are not the official position of the Green Party of Canada.
No Cameron...I have an opinion
quote "" Not only is your sensationalistic example a distraction from the subject, but your logic is faulty; there are thousands of artists in Canada who don't speak of their privates. To use that as an example is to place your moral judgment on a specific artist, and use that as the basis for attacking Canadian cultural & arts funding overall.""
No it isn't !!!
That assessment is wrong...its to show my opinion by using examples of what some people look at as art and sometimes some are offended by those artistic choices
I haven't seen either only heard the murmured comments of the names and subject matter and that's why I tried to use them
I am not giving you my morals I just have no interest in them and I should be free to say where my tax dollars go .....just like with corporate welfare ....we shouldn't set up an artistic welfare system as well
I do argue morals in the drug war issue and cannabis but NEVER have I argued other taxpayers should " PAY" for my cultural choices in my smokables...NEVER !!!
I do express my opinions here
same as you don't mind doing.......obviously
I have zero problem with the arts and I guess I should say it then better than I must have and just did
I use the two subjects I chose to simply say that what you or others consider as art is not that way to all Canadians and that tax payers and where their money is wasted(to some) is not a taboo subject here at the Green Party
Have all the art you feel like Cameron & crew !!! ....
JUST PAY FOR IT ............YOURSELVES
The highest priced art in the entire world was produced by people with nothing most times who lived on pennies between commissioned and never receiving hardly a payment for doing their OWN PASSION ....ART !!! THEY DO AND JUST DID IT!!
quote " Again I have to remind you that investing in the arts stimulates the economy. It's an economic driver. "
Trust me...... so is the drug war ...so what ?
SO IS EVERY OTHER DOLLAR !!! spent in this country !!!!
as it does exactly the same thing!!!!
quote "Engaging in artistic and cultural events also contributes to the overall well-being of a society."
Again my point is about cultural welfare not culture
If it can only take taxpayers money to show the well being of a society we have some very much bigger problems than just the drug war
Hey.....I have zero problems with someone even adopting a human sexual part as their motif and building a 100 ft tall one.....
who cares...as long as THEY pay for it
Sorry I don't believe your arguments one bit and I don't need to be painted as a sensationalist to disagree with you!!!
Some of us would like all of us (as I am sorry ...we are all artists actually) to all be given a slice of the 6.8 billion ...or none of us
If most were not just trying to survive more would do art I know
If some one wants money to go do their art piece ....raise the capital same as we all do to further our own art work and I do not believe I am out of line for speaking for the taxpayers who as I say would love a grant to do theirs as well .....Cameron
GIVE ME A BREAK !!!!
I have never seen a whole hockey game either and I would be up in arms if the professional sports teams needed tax dollars to stay viable as I believe in the market place and I believe in equality ...I am not a liberal where some are more EQUAL THAN OTHERS !!!!!
Thanks John for the clarification and openmindedness
Hi John,
Thanks for the comments.
I didn't mean to offend you with the comment about being sensational. My intention was to point out that you used a sensationalistic example of art in order to make the argument that all cultural funding was worthless and should be cut, and that I thought that was faulty logic.
Please do read over the articles I linked to in my original post, and please have a look at the other comments here. Please. I do hope you can understand where I and other supporters of funding support for the Canadian Arts & Culture industry are coming from.
- - -
The blog section of the GPC website is a place for GPC members to share their personal opinions and views. The views I express here are my own and are not the official position of the Green Party of Canada.
6.8 Billion would treat a lot of Indian reserves water
AS 80% DONT EVEN HAVE SAFE DRINKING WATER !!! Cameron
With 6.8 billion dollars very much needed else where and not being given will less or more bridges now fall and kill in Quebec as infrastructure is further ignored?
Ask taxpayers......
sorry Buskers at liquor stores should what ? maybe be civil servants instead of having to sell themselves? is that what U hear ........Sorry call me a pot smoking conservative...as an ex bank manager I call a spade a spade and know who in society grows the community by what financial activity...sorry
Who owns the taxpayer portion at the end Cameron???? yeah I rest my case
Thank you Cameron I know you are a very good guy at heart and I should just stop
You will never convince me in this issue....what is that $20,000 dollars for every man women and child in the country or $2000? Still a lot!!
Any artist who really has someone who will buy your idea or commissioned art piece should yes at least be able to apply for interest free government loans then til they complete as per the supplied prospectus !!!!and then yes be freed up to do another ummmm "art piece"
I also don't support these Japanese fellas around who feel that just because they have a boat to be able to do it .......all the worlds whales are theirs for the picking ...any time !!...yes just to further their own lifestyles!!!
What at close to a million dollars a whale? I see why they do
Green fairness to all...... means fairness to all !!!
Ps ....With a large part of the BC culture yes being supported by a big chunk of cannabis users and even now a huge tourist draw....why does zero dollars of this 6.8 billion get directed to them and why do we spend a billion many times over just trying to jail them ?
Pss....Isn't this program ....how Chretien slipped a half billion dollars or some such outrageous amount in to Quebec undercover to fight for sovereignty?????
Let Quebec alone...if they separate ...where the hell will they really go anyway???? and if they do hahah find some place better..... I may just have to insist that we all just follow them.....
as if it were not for Quebec (and I have lived there)
Canada would have ceased to be Canada years and years ago !!!
It's not either/or - why not both?
John, that much money can do a lot in many areas. The current cuts amount to around 20 million, which isn't much at all. One should ask why they even bothered to cut these programs at all.
Anyways, we can't blame funding of the arts (and use buskers at liquor stores to personify the entire arts and culture industry) for lack of funding for clean drinking water for Canadians on reserves. That would be faulty logic.
Thank you for telling me that I will never convince you on this issue. While I'm saddened to hear that you have a closed mind, I'm relieved to know that I don't have to spend anymore time trying to change your mind.
;-)
BTW, I do enjoy debating with you and I'm glad you're an active member of the Greens. Your comments on the GPC blog site are always energetic and interesting.
Cheers,
Cameron
Ditto to you ...thanks
Yes thanks Cameron and I am not closed minded just not open wallet-ed.
Wait till I give you my medicare thoughts as I alienate even the doctors I have newly befriended here as I don't believe every operation now done is called for as a public financed operation
We did it because we could gosh darn it !!
I will save that little thought until it comes up I guess
I do note though that the large number of recent mental health case numbers in Canada is in direct relationship exactly with the rising number of government payrolled practitioners........amazing coincidence?
Yes and I will just continue watching as doctors here in BC.... over prescribe Ritilin( or as its better known on the street..... Crystal meth )
I will leave it all to the rest of you Greens to see if its me this time out of step with the party ....or on the pulse of the party.
Cheers Cameron .....I will watch you as you convince them
in this soon to be depression we seem to be headed for yes convince them that the artists should get money without us asking if it will in fact be a screen door in a submarine or not LOL
Give me the money...no questions asked ......wow....ummm is there a gun at my back?
(disclaimer:do not be confused and think shavluk is the green party talking...hahha)
http://ridings.greenparty.ca/article285.html?&MMN_...
juror.ca
endprohibition@telus.net
Let's get nerdy on the arts (I'm a proud band geek ;)
Quoting John S:
quote " Again I have to remind you that investing in the arts stimulates the economy. It's an economic driver. "
Trust me...... so is the drug war ...so what ?
SO IS EVERY OTHER DOLLAR !!! spent in this country !!!!
as it does exactly the same thing!!!!
/end quote
I have in the past pointed out that all things that stimulate the GDP are not necessarily good. For example, an oil spill employs many people, and economically is seen as "good", but that doesn't take account of the environmental damage, the value of lost ecosystems or the actual impact on the well-being of Canadians. That's why we Greens support adding a Genuine Progress Indicator to our ways of measuring progress.
Genuine Progress Indicator:
http://www.flora.org/sustain/Question/GPI.html
http://www.fiscallygreen.ca/gpi/index.php
True Cost Economics ("A La Adbusters")
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/truecosteconomics
GDP: Grossly Distorting Perception
http://www.theecologist.co.uk/pages/archive_detail...
The strange thing here is that you've compared government investment in the arts to spending on the war on drugs. Both use taxpayers money, but one clearly contributes to the GPI in a positive way (through economic stimulation and through enjoyment of life [see related links below]) while the other - crime/war on drugs - has a negative impact.
From this link (pdf): http://pubs.pembina.org/reports/31.Crime.pdf
"...The GPI recognizes that, with respect
to crime, limitless growth is not
good for society. The GPI tells us that
the more crime there is and the more
money society spends, the less prosperous
our province becomes. By recognizing
that crime does not contribute to societal
well-being..."
While a war on drugs and funding for the arts might have the quality of economic stimulus in common, they are certainly worlds apart in the context of impact on societal well being and overall prosperity.
Arts & Culture are beneficial to our well-being & quality of life, and so investments in the cultural industry not only stimulate the economy, they improve our collective quality of life and well being.
RELATED LINKS:
The Importance of Culture To the Well-Being of Societies
John Gordon Culture and Art-related Activities OECD Statistics Directorate Measuring Well-being and Societal Progress OECD/CRELL-JRC Workshop Milan, June 19, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/5k5gcs
Art is essential for our cultural well-being
Viewpoint (UVic)
The following is excerpted from Dr. Jan Zwicky’s (philosophy) remarks when she accepted her Governor General’s Award for Poetry on Nov. 16.
http://ring.uvic.ca/99dec10/view2.html
http://www.creativecity.ca/resources/making-the-ca...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genuine_Progress_Indi...
- - -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/01/13...
Quote from the link above (click and scroll to bottom):
4.30 In the cultural policy literature, we find an approach which assumes that culture and sport have a positive impact on an area or city and that cultural vitality is one aspect of quality of life. This 'cultural vitality' is measured by the opportunities for participating and attending cultural events, the development of new work and the level of economic investment etc. This approach is to be found in the US studies and in the work of the New Zealand government.
4.31 In contrast, some of the UK work has focused on proving that culture and sport have a positive impact and the measurements flow from that. Conceptually at least, cultural planning appears to bring those two approaches closer together by promoting the view that culture is an aspect of planning which sits alongside economic and social issues. Its (so far) limited application in the UK does suggest a need to develop some key qualitative as well as quantitative indicators - including some means of measuring the quality of the intervention.
What the above text tells us is that the quality of life benefits from cultural activities are difficult to quantify. Studies show correlation, but necessarily causation. The benefits of culture to our quality of life are difficult to quantify, so defending public funding for culture shouldn't be based on proven value to well-being, although there is a theoretical possibility of a link between participation in culture and quality of life. The evidence suggests an association between cultural and sports participation and an improved quality of life.
To me this means more studies must be done. It doesn't mean there is definitely NO link/benefit between quality of life and the arts & culture industry, it just means that there MAY BE a link, and it still needs to be studied further.
Below is another related excerpt from this related link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/01/13...
6.1 The evidence available from both the academic and policy literature leads to the conclusion that there is no definitive set of indicators which can measure the contribution of culture and sport to quality of life and well-being, regardless of how these terms are defined.
6.2 While the evidence suggests an association between cultural and sports participation and an improved quality of life, there is no evidence of a causal relationship between the two.
6.3 There is, however, the theoretical possibility of a link between social connectedness/social inclusion, participation in culture and/or sport and quality of life.
6.6 Underpinning any approach to the development of indicators is the issue of the policy goal: why does the public purse fund sports and cultural activity?; and, to what end? There are two approaches in the policy literature we examined. Both assume a positive link between culture and sport and quality of life and well-being, however defined. One approach sets out to prove this link but, as we have shown, this is not easy territory. The other approach works from the assumption that sport and cultural activity in a community is a signifier of quality of life, and sets about measuring its effectiveness. While the latter may not offer the kind of 'evidence base' which is hoped for, it has the advantage of putting culture and sport in the same category as other public sector commitments and suggests a workable framework for evaluation.
I hope that helps you understand my point of view.
- - - - -
The blog section of the GPC website is a place for GPC members to share their personal opinions and views. The views I express here are my own and are not the official position of the Green Party of Canada.
Another good article covering cuts to cultural funding
From the G&M...
"...If the federal government believes the artistic community has a role to play in society and the global economy, it needs to reinvest heavily in Canadian artists and stop using the phrase "culture of innovation" exclusively in the sense of corporate practices.
Actor and director Sarah Polley summed up the mood of the arts community in her testimony to the Senate committee on Bill C-10: "Every Canadian television program and film that I and any of us have ever been involved in has involved some public financing. When you tell artists to use private money, it is essentially telling us to leave the country."
Want a 'culture of innovation'? Fund our artists
If you can stomach extreme ignorance and over the top zealots, have a look at the comments on this G&M story at the link above, but remember to take deep breathes while you read them. Some of the people are way off base and even passionately spiteful. It's still worth the look to see both sides of the debate.
Another 2 comments in support of arts funding
See: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM...
Also see: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM...
These arguments deal directly with two of the positions that anti-arts folks hold, the first being that Arts & Culture as an industry is of no economic value to Canada, and the second being that promotion of Canadian culture both domestically and internationally is not a priority for Canada... that it's just not "worth it".