Arts cuts harm communities and economy: Green Party
VANCOUVER – Green Party leader Elizabeth May today joined deputy leader Adriane Carr in Vancouver riding to denounce the recent Harper government cuts to funding for arts and culture programs.
“Starving the arts community has been a theme of Mr. Harper’s since taking office,” said Ms. May. “The latest slashes to arts and culture programs are mean-spirited and misguided. Instead of helping to encourage diversity, enjoyment and expression, it is apparent that the Prime Minister wants to continue to harm Canada’s cultural identity. Vibrant democracies celebrate free expression and support the arts and democracy is under attack.”
Ms. Carr said the Conservative arts cuts simply don’t make sense, given the economic activity generated by arts and culture.
“Given the Conference Board’s recent report showing that seven percent of Canada’s GDP is due to arts and culture – a whopping $84.6 billion – it is a no-brainer that the government should encourage Canadian culture, not threaten it, ” said Ms. Carr. “Mr. Harper’s cuts are not about good fiscal management, but his selective slashing does have everything to do with controlling Canadians and censoring those aspects of culture he deems to controversial. We have seen this with funding cuts and we have seen this with Bill C-10.”
Ms. Carr said that in Vancouver Centre, people strongly oppose the Harper government’s anti-arts agenda.
“Vancouver Centre is a culturally vibrant riding with nearly nine percent of citizens working in arts, culture and recreation. This is nearly triple the national average,” she said. “Certainly, shifting money away from arts and culture while showering the 2010 Olympics with $25 million for the torch relay shows contempt for British Columbians in the arts community. The Olympic torch relay is not culture – it is a spectacle.”
The Green Party has a comprehensive plan to provide support to arts and culture initiatives while promoting Canada’s cultural identity both at home and abroad. The plan is available at http://greenparty.ca/en/policy/artsandculture.
