ProArt sent the following questions to all candidates running in the Federal Election in all ridings on Vancouver Island.
1. What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
2. Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
3. What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
Results will be posted here as they come in.
ProArt 2015 Federal Election – Regional Candidate Survey
Candidate responses (listed in order received by ProArt)
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Alicia Cormier
Saanich—Gulf Islands
NDP
Thank you so much for contacting me and for your interest in the NDP’s commitment to strengthen the arts and culture in Canada. Like so many other Canadians I look to the arts not only for entertainment, but for enlightenment and inspiration.
We have long recognized the vital role that the arts play in strengthening our communities and our economy. They not only encourage creativity and innovation, improve our quality of life and build cultural identity, they also contribute significantly to our economic well-being.
Sadly, funding for the arts is too often given a low priority. Artists and culture workers often bear the burden of supporting the arts through their unfairly low wages. Too often, recent governments have cut funding to important cultural institutions like the National Film Board, Telefilm and CBC.
The NDP believes the federal government must ensure its cultural institutions have the necessary resources to ensure Canadian content continue to thrive both nationally and internationally on traditional and digital platforms. We are committed to working with all partners to make sure current fiscal measures, regulations and programs are appropriate to support the industry.
The New Democratic Party will:
• Ensure long-term, reliable funding for Canada’s public broadcaster to continue telling Canadians’ stories by reversing Stephen Harper’s $115 million cuts to the CBC;
• Support Canadian filmmakers and artists with a $60 million investment in Telefilm Canada, the NFB and Canada Council for the Arts;
• Help self-employed artists by introducing an income averaging system that brings more predictability and fairness to their taxes; and
• Encourage new and innovative digital content with a $10 million fund to support Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
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Randall Garrison
Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke
NDP
1. Over the past four years, I have fought hard against the Conservative government’s relentless chipping away at our ability to tell our stories and share the experiences we have in common as Canadians. I advocated for public support for arts and culture as both a city Councillor and as an MP.
2. The NDP intends to continue to support the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) to help assist artists across the country. Since 1957, the CCA has promoted artistic creation and helped professionalize the sector, providing Canadians with access to a rich, high-level and diversified industry.The NDP is aware that the current budget for the Canada Council for the Arts does not meet the financial demands required. That is why Tom Mulcair recently announced that a New Democrat government would provide $60 million over four years to Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board and the Canada Council for the Arts, while loosening rules for artists who seek council grants.
3. The NDP has a clear vision for Canadian arts and culture including: protecting our heritage, supporting key Canadian institutions and providing an opportunity for our Canadian talent to thrive on digital and traditional platforms. The NDP also wants to ensure that artists are able to earn a decent living from their art. An NDP government will support the arts and culture sector. We understand that art is critical to our quality of life, our identity and our economy. Whether our artists are on the local, national, or international stage, Canadians are proud of the artists who make our communities and our country dynamic and a better place to live.Recently Tom Mulcair announced that NDP government would also allow self-employed artists to average their income, a move that would make tax filing fairer and more predictable. The NDP would also create a new, $10 million digital content fund to support celebrations of Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017, and will reverse Harper’s disastrous cuts to the CBC.
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Tim Kane
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Liberal Party of Canada led by Justin Trudeau
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
I make no claim to be an artist, but I understand the importance of arts and culture in providing meaning to individual lives and enriching the fabric of our communities, our nation, our world. Without our poets and writers and playwrights, our composers and musicians, our dancers and actors, our artists and sculptors, our lives would be lived in a poverty of spirit. This is why I have served as a volunteer for arts organizations and cultural groups, and for many years devoted my business expertise to mentoring the “next generation” of Canadians:
• It was a privilege for me to serve on the committee that was set up by the Famous Five Foundation in Ottawa to spearhead the “Women Are Persons!” project. One of the most unforgettable moments of my life was taking part in the dedication of the monument, created by Barbara Paterson, on Parliament Hill. As the only man on the committee, it was a special honour for me to help recognize the achievements of these five indomitable Canadian women, with a work by one of the worlds’ most celebrated sculptors. At the thank-you reception held later at 24 Sussex Drive, the only men present were Prime Minister Chretien and me – a fact Mr. Chretien pointed out with his characteristic warmth and humour.
• When we lived in Ottawa, my company Delta Media was a strong supporter of the National Arts Centre Foundation, particularly its youth outreach programme.
• Through Delta Media I also mentored students who were pursuing careers in communications – talented artists and writers often begin their life journeys with graphic arts and design. At the Graduation Ceremonies of June 2014, Algonquin College recognized my years of mentorship by presenting me with an Honorary Bachelor’s Degree, and I was honoured to deliver the commencement address to the Media Arts and Design graduates.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
If I become the Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, I will be a strong voice for arts and cultural groups on the Gulf Islands, on the Peninsula and throughout the greater Victoria region. These organizations, often run entirely by dedicated volunteers, manage to brilliantly support and showcase the works of artists on what are best described as shoe-string budgets. They deserve more support from the federal government:
• Not only do arts and culture enrich our lives, they make a considerable contribution to our economy. The Conference Board estimates that culture drives more than $84 billion worth of economic benefits each year and employs more than one million Canadians. During the Harper decade, our cultural and creative industries have been under-funded. Stephen Harper has attacked investments in Canadian culture, saying that “ordinary people” are against them. It will be my honour to serve as part of a new Liberal government under Justin Trudeau that restores and increases investment in arts and culture in this region.
• As part of our historic new investment in social infrastructure of nearly $6 billion over the next four years and almost $20 billion over ten years, a Liberal government will invest significantly more in cultural infrastructure. In partnership with the provinces and territories, we will invest in projects that create jobs, help build more creative communities, and preserve our heritage facilities. These investments will include facilities used by communities to express and promote their culture.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
As a member of a new Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau, I will reinvest in our cultural and creative industries, to create jobs, grow the economy and the middle class, and strengthen our rich Canadian identity:
• Liberals will invest $150 million in new annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, a commitment that reverses Harper’s cuts and goes even further to ensure that our national broadcaster is able to prosper in today’s media environment.
• We will double investment in the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million per year from $180 million.
• We will increase funding to Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, with a new investment of $25 million per year.
• We will restore the Promart and Trade Routes international cultural promotion programs, cut by Harper, increase the funding to $25 million per year, and reinstate culture as part of our foreign diplomacy. This investment will promote Canadian culture and creativity on the world stage, making our artists an even more important export.
• We will increase funding for the Young Canada Works program to help the heritage sector prepare the next generation of museum staff. This investment is part of the Liberal commitment to create 40,000 youth jobs each year as part of a renewed Youth Employment Strategy.
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Fran Hunt- Jinnouchi
Cowichan – Malahat – Langford
Green Party of Canada
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
My earliest experience with arts and culture is through indigenous perspective, because being an oral culture, our history is passed down through storytelling, song, art and dance. As owners of Evedar’s bistro we show our support for arts and culture in several ways. For example, we host regular story readings, have musical performers three evenings a week, and provide an annual scholarship to Belmont School for a student entering a music program. Personally, I have offered support to westshore community members who are in the planning stages for an arts and culture centre in the westshore. I see the arts as a powerful means of cross-cultural connection; my own experience has shown how profoundly important a tool of cultural expression the arts are, and how the sharing of these traditions helps us to better understand one another.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
Put simply, yes. I, and the Green Party, believe that at every level of our society, arts and cultural activities help define our identities and communities. They unlock our individual and collective creativity, and help Canadians share our ideas worldwide. From surreal circus to incisive films, to renowned actors and singers, Canadians are experiencing cultural breakthroughs on the international arts and culture scene. Moreover, some 600 000 Canadians are employed in the cultural sector. Arts and culture are indispensably important. The Green Party understands that our future, our sense of who we are as a nation, depends on policies that ensure a thriving, diverse, and socially responsible cultural community as part of an inclusive Canada. We will continue and increase support for those cultural institutions that are within the Canadian Heritage portfolio: Canada Council for the Arts, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board (NFB), and Telefilm Canada. We will reverse the funding cuts of the Harper government for the exchange of artists and the performance of Canadian arts abroad, as they are a vital aspect of effective diplomacy and artistic expression. We will establish the equivalent of the Japanese National Treasure Program, where outstanding individual artists are supported to perfect their crafts.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
From our Platform:
Green Party MPs will:
• Increase funding to all of Canada’s arts and culture organizations including the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, orchestras, theatres, and publishers. The goal will be to make increases in this sector commensurate with increases in support over the years for other sectors such as transport, energy, and health care;
• Provide stable base funding for the CBC so it can continue to provide quality Canadian content television and radio programming in both official languages to all Canadians;
• Restore CBC international short-wave service;
• Reverse the CBC application and CRTC approval for commercial advertising on CBC Radio 2;
• Reverse cuts to suppertime news and local programming in CBC and Radio Canada;
• Ensure that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reserves more bandwidth for independent and non-profit stations;
• Enact legislation that requires cinemas and video chains to have at least 20% Canadian content;
• Restore and improve arm’s length principles in the governance of arts and cultural institutions and agencies under federal jurisdiction. In keeping with such a position, we believe that the heads of Canada’s cultural organizations such as the CRTC, Canada Council, CBC, and Telefilm Canada should not be appointed by the political party in power but by an arm’s length committee made up of competent people representative of the various diverse stakeholders in Canadian society;
• Seek greater support and adequate resources for arts grants programs;
• Seek increased funding incentives for artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural regions;
• Provide protection for indigenous intellectual and artistic property rights;
• Increase support for community arts programs and facilities across Canada by establishing stable base funding at a set percentage of the federal budget;
• Equalize federal funding for arts and culture among provinces, territories, and municipalities to make it consistent with the provinces and municipalities that have the highest current standards;
• Provide incentives to all provinces and territories to restore and improve arts and culture components in schools and extra-curricular activities, not only in urban but also in rural areas;
• Extend income tax relief and incentives to artists (on the very successful models established by Ireland and the city of Berlin). Doing so will:
1. Encourage artists to settle in Canada and build businesses here;
2. Result in other (usually) white collar ‘clean’ industries that follow arts jobs and dollars;
3. Help to provide meaningful jobs to university and college graduates;
4. Enrich schools and their offerings, thereby attracting immigrants to settle in rural areas;
5. Revitalize and discover talent in communities where traditional industries are declining and young people are leaving.
• Follow and implement recommendations of the Canadian Conference of the Arts in order to enable artists to access various social programs, including Employment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation, and the Canada Pension Plan;
• Change the Canada Revenue Act to allow arts and culture workers to benefit from a tax averaging plan that will take into account the fact that lean years often precede and follow a good year when a show is produced, a book is published, or a grant or a prize is won;
• Protect Canada’s cultural identity during trade negotiations;
• Restore the government-provided transport service (eliminated by the Harper Administration) to allow the transport of exhibitions between museums and galleries;
• Protect the copyright for artists so it is not surrendered to museums and galleries in the process of permitting exhibits.
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Mark MacDonald
Nanaimo – Ladysmith
Conservative Campaign
The Government has consistently shown a commitment to provide strong support to Canadian arts and culture to help ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to participate in shared artistic and cultural experiences. Examples include:
• In November 2014, the Government announced funding of $80.5 million to repair, retrofit and renovate the Canada Science and Technology Museum. In December 2014, the Government announced an investment of $110.5 million for the architectural renewal of the National Arts Centre to transform it into a world-class facility.
• Economic Action Plan 2014 provided ongoing funding of $105 million per year in support of culture-related programs, in addition to $9 million per year for the Canada Book Fund and $8.8 million per year for the Canada Music Fund.
• Economic Action Plan 2013 increased the Endowment Incentive component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund to a maximum benefit of $15 million over the life of the program to help promote corporate philanthropy and private investment in the arts. In addition, funding of $8 million was provided to help support the restoration and revitalization of Massey Hall to support Canada’s current and future artists.
• Economic Action Plan 2012 announced support for major exhibitions at Canadian museums and galleries by modernizing the Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program to help attract new exhibitions.
• Economic Action Plan 2011 provided $15 million per year to the Canada Periodical Fund to support a broad range of publications and ensure a diversity of Canadian content. In addition, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup and the Calgary Stampede, $5 million was provided to each of these anniversary celebrations.
• Economic Action Plan 2009 provided targeted two-year funding of $60 million to support infrastructure-related costs for local and community cultural and heritage institutions such as local theatres, libraries and small museums.
Moving forward, Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes to provide $210 million over four years to support activities and events, including festivals and concerts, to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017. Economic Action Plan 2015 also proposes to provide $25 million over five years, beginning in 2016–17, to renew support for the Harbourfront Centre, which delivers arts, culture and recreation programming. Economic Action Plan 2015 also proposes to amend the Copyright Act to extend the term of protection of sound recordings and performances from 50 to 70 years following the first release of the sound recording, so that performers and record labels are fairly compensated for the use of their music for an additional 20 years.
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Murray Rankin
Victoria
NDP
I am a huge fan and supporter of arts and culture. As Victoriaʼs MP for the past three years, I have done everything in my power to assist local arts organizations with grant applications and other funding requests. These groups ranged from the Ska Fest to the Victoria Conservancy of Music. I also worked with organizations sponsoring visiting artists to resolve immigration problems in order to ensure that a wide variety of artists from different cultures are able to showcase their work here in Victoria.
As a private citizen, I regularly attend theatre, music, and other cultural events. Iʼve studied piano, reaching the Royal Conservancyʼs grade 9, and also took jazz piano lessons for several years with the great Bill Mulley. I was honoured to speak this year at the Victoria Symphony Splash. My former law firm, Arvay Finlay, was a production sponsor at the Belfry theatre. Given my affinity for arts and culture, Iʼm proud to be in the NDP, a party that firmly believes the arts and culture sector is vital to our collective identity, and is an important driver of job creation and economic growth.
To strengthen Canadaʼs arts and culture sector, including reversing the damage Stephen Harper has inflicted on our public broadcaster, the NDP will:
• Restore funding cut from the CBC/Radio-Canada by the Harper government, and guarantee stable, predictable, multi-year financing to the public broadcaster.
• Institute an independent appointment process for the CBC Board to ensure that itʼs accountable to Canadians and delivering on its mandate as a core cultural institution, broadcasting Canadaʼs unique identities and linguistic realities.
• Reinvest in core cultural institutions like the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board.
• Ensure Canadians continue to enjoy quality, diverse and local Canadian content on traditional broadcasting platforms.
• Support our cultural industries in developing new international markets by providing embassies with appropriate cultural personnel and funding.
• Support artists by implementing income tax averaging for artists and cultural workers.
• Help Canadians preserve our heritage by restoring the National Archival Development Program.
• Ensure that celebrations for Canadaʼs 150th anniversary are non-partisan and inclusive, and support Montrealʼs 375th Anniversary Celebration.
• Ensure that arts and culture are a pillar of Canadaʼs 150th anniversary by creating a special fund to support the creation, diffusion and promotion of Canadian content on digital platforms.
I hope this information is helpful, and I thank you for taking the time to review the arts and culture positions of the federal election candidates.
Best wishes,
Murray Rankin
NDP Candidate for Victoria
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Elizabeth May
Saanich-Gulf Islands
Green Party of Canada
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
I have always had a deep love of fiction. Farley Mowat was one of my dearest friends in the world. My first job when I was a teen was being a tour guide in the Mark Twain house in Connecticut.
I am a loyal supporter of all literary events in my riding and I enjoy attending as many as possible.
I have written eight books. I am a proud supporter of PEN Canada.
I always enjoy attending the Symphony in Victoria.
Over the years, I have organized many concerts for environmental campaigns, including a great concert with Sarah Harmer and Valdy for Earth Day last year. I enjoy political folk music like Valdy and Bill Henderson and the children song’s of Raffi (all of whom live in my riding!). This election, I had the pleasure of hosting two concerts/political rallies this campaign with Environment Canada scientist turned folk singer Tony Turner.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
Absolutely. Among other measures, Green MPs will advocate for stable, sustained, and increased funding for the arts as well as greater independence for Canada’s arts and culture organizations.
The Green Party will increase funding for the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, and our orchestras, theatres, and publishers, to bring public support for arts and culture in line with other industries. To protect the independence of Canada’s arts and culture institutions from political influence, we will establish arm’s-length committees made up of various diverse stakeholders representative of Canadian society to appoint the heads of Canada’s cultural organizations such as the CRTC, the Canada Council for the Arts, the CBC, and Telefilm Canada.
To support individual artists and workers, we will seek increased funding incentives for artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural regions and for arts and culture programs in schools. We will also protect Canada’s cultural identity during trade negotiations and change the Canada Revenue Act to allow arts and culture workers to benefit from a tax averaging plan that will take into account variable annual incomes in the sector.
The Green Party’s Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI), will also give artists the freedom to pursue their craft without living in fear of falling into poverty. A GLI would provide a regular payment to every Canadian, at a level above the poverty line, to meet Canadians’ basic needs while encouraging additional income generation. For higher-income Canadians, the amount of the GLI is merely taxed back in whole. A GLI will give artists the support they need to do their work, without having to sacrifice their material well-being.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
A nation relies on its artists to tell its own story and shape its identity. Canadians are enthusiastic readers, listeners, and viewers, but we recognize that our culture also needs public support to thrive. Arts organizations, especially the Canada Council for the Arts and the CBC, require steady, predictable federal funding. Canadian cultural organizations, like the CBC, Canada Council for the Arts, Radio-Canada, and the National Film Board, contribute over $80 billion to Canada’s economy and employ over a million Canadians. However, our cultural institutions are more than just a statistic: they are the fabric that connects Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Since taking office, Stephen Harper has cut over $200 million from the CBC’s total grant and operating budgets. Greens will reverse Stephen Harper’s cuts to our national broadcaster and restore our ability to showcase Canada’s cultural identity through local news and quality Canadian content.
Greens will:
• Provide approximately $1.5 billion in stable funding to the CBC, Radio-Canada, the National Film Board, Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada over 5 years;
• Extend income tax relief and incentives for Canadian artists, following Ireland’s and Berlin’s very successful approaches;
• Oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership that will require Crown Corporations like the CBC to operate solely for profit;
• Revisit Stephen Harper’s amendments to the CRTC’s content regulations so Canadians can continue to enjoy quality Canadian programming;
• Create an expert arms length board to appoint board members of cultural institutions to end partisan political interference; and
• Implement a Guaranteed Livable Income to help lower-income artists succeed.
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Frances Litman
Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke
Green Party of Canada
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
I have earned my living my entire life from my creativity, first as a writer then as a professional photographer (see franceslitman.com)
I’m also the creator and organizer of Creatively United for the Planet (creativelyunited.org) and an annual festival that takes place in Victoria, BC during Earth Week. This zero-waste festival – named by the David Suzuki Foundation “North America’s Best Earth Week Festival” – brings together artists, musicians, environmental and social justice groups for a two-day festival in celebration of community.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
Yes! Arts and culture – from our young people learning to play music or dance, to amateur and professional performances – is an essential part of a thriving society. There are many studies which show the mental health and healing benefits of providing arts and cultural opportunities – both as participants and as observers.
We also have many artists and performers throughout this riding, shown in exhibits such as the Sooke Fine Arts Show, the Metchosin Stinking Fish tour and the Music in the Park events hosted by Saanich and Esquimalt. We have much First Nations culture to celebrate, as well as arts and cultures from around the world. Nationally, the CBC plays a central role in bringing us together and sharing our diversity and we want to be sure to protect and preserve it.
In the West Shore, the lack of a good performance arts centre has long been noted, and a study by the local Chamber of Commerce has identified strong public support for such a facility. As your MP, it would be a priority to find ways to support the development of such a centre in my riding.
It should be noted that I am the only candidate in this riding who is a small business owner with an international career based in the arts.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
Canadians are enthusiastic readers, listeners, and viewers, but we recognize that our culture also needs public support to thrive. Arts organizations, especially the Canada Council for the Arts and the CBC, require steady, predictable federal funding. Canadian cultural organizations, like the CBC, Canada Council for the Arts, Radio-Canada, and the National Film Board, contribute over $80 billion to Canada’s economy and employ over a million Canadians. However, our cultural institutions are more than just a statistic: they are the fabric that connects Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Since taking office, Stephen Harper has cut over $200 million from the CBC’s total grant and operating budgets. Greens will reverse Stephen Harper’s cuts to our national broadcaster and restore our ability to showcase Canada’s cultural identity through local news and quality Canadian content.
Greens will:
• Provide approximately $1.5 billion in stable funding to the CBC, Radio-Canada, the National Film Board, Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada over 5 years;
• Extend income tax relief and incentives for Canadian artists, following Ireland’s and Berlin’s very successful approaches;
• Oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership that will require Crown Corporations like the CBC to operate solely for profit;
• Revisit Stephen Harper’s amendments to the CRTC’s content regulations so Canadians can continue to enjoy quality Canadian programming;
• Create an expert arms length board to appoint board members of cultural institutions to end partisan political interference; and
• Implement a Guaranteed Livable Income to help lower-income artists succeed.
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Brenda Sayers
North Island – Powell River
Green Party of Canada
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
My brother, Klehwetua Rodney Sayers, is a jewelry maker and I share his belief that culture is a not a concept, nor an idea – it is a way of being that defies description. I have striven my whole life to learn, understand and keep our culture alive. I currently work as a Financial Administrator at Haahuupayak Cultural School, where we teach our traditional language, arts and dance along with the regular curriculum.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
Yes I will, Among other measures, Green MPs will advocate for stable, sustained, and increased funding for the arts as well as greater independence for Canada’s arts and culture organizations.
The Green Party will increase funding for the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, and our orchestras, theatres, and publishers, to bring public support for arts and culture in line with other industries. To protect the independence of Canada’s arts and culture institutions from political influence, we will establish arm’slength committees made up of various diverse stakeholders representative of Canadian society to appoint the heads of Canada’s cultural organizations such as the CRTC, the Canada Council for the Arts, the CBC, and Telefilm Canada.
To support individual artists and workers, we will seek increased funding incentives for artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural regions and for arts and culture programs in schools. We will also protect Canada’s cultural identity during trade negotiations and change the Canada Revenue Act to allow arts and culture workers to benefit from a tax averaging plan that will take into account variable annual incomes in the sector.
The Green Party’s Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI), will also give artists the freedom to pursue their craft without living in fear of falling into poverty. A GLI would provide a regular payment to every Canadian, at a level above the poverty line, to meet Canadians’ basic needs while encouraging additional income generation. For higherincome Canadians, the amount of the GLI is merely taxed back in whole. A GLI will give artists the support they need to do their work, without having to sacrifice their material wellbeing.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
A nation relies on its artists to tell its own story and shape its identity. Canadians are enthusiastic readers, listeners, and viewers, but we recognize that our culture also needs public support to thrive. Arts organizations, especially the Canada Council for the Arts and the CBC, require steady, predictable federal funding. Canadian cultural organizations, like the CBC, Canada Council for the Arts, RadioCanada, and the National Film Board, contribute over $80 billion to Canada’s economy and employ over a million Canadians. However, our cultural institutions are more than just a statistic: they are the fabric that connects Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Since taking office, Stephen Harper has cut over $200 million from the CBC’s total grant and operating budgets. Greens will reverse Stephen Harper’s cuts to our national broadcaster and restore our ability to showcase Canada’s cultural identity through local news and quality Canadian content.
Greens will:
• Provide approximately $1.5 billion in stable funding to the CBC, RadioCanada, the National Film Board, Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada over 5 years;
• Extend income tax relief and incentives for Canadian artists, following Ireland’s and Berlin’s very successful approaches;
• Oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership that will require Crown Corporations like the CBC to operate solely for profit;
• Revisit Stephen Harper’s amendments to the CRTC’s content regulations so Canadians can continue to enjoy quality Canadian programming;
• Create an expert arms length board to appoint board members of cultural institutions to end partisan political interference; and
• Implement a Guaranteed Livable Income to help lower-income artists succeed.
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Paul Manly
Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Green Party of Canada
What is your previous experience with Arts and Culture?
I have extensive experience working in Arts and Culture.
• I studied Jazz at Humber college (1985)
• I performed as a professional musician for ten years
• I owned and operated a sound and lighting company for five years
• I ran an artist management company for five years and negotiated recording, distribution and licensing deals nationally and internationally. I managed international tours.
• I have a diploma in Broadcasting (1991) and a degree in Media Studies and Global Studies (2007)
• I worked at Video In Studios (Satellite Video Exchange Society) an artist run media centre for six years. I was a member of the management collective and the board of directors.
• I have been making documentary, educational and art films for 23 years and I have worked as a support technician for many other artists.
• I have received artists grants from the Canada Council and BC Arts Council and been on the jury for the BC Arts Council.
Will you support increased support and investment in Arts and Culture? And if so, how?
The Green Party is the only party that has a section on Arts and Culture subtitled Beauty and Integrity in its policies. I think that clearly shows how important the Green Party believes that arts and culture are to Canadians. Greens will increase funding to the Canada Council for the Arts with the long-term goal of reaching $300 million. We will also increase funding for Telefilm Canada and our orchestras, theatres and publishers. We support the Canadian Arts Coalition’s proposal to phase in a $25 million pilot program over three years at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development for Canada’s 150th birthday. Greens will reverse the most recent cuts of some $115 million to the CBC budget and increase it by $200 million. To help individual artists, we will increase funding fur artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural areas and for arts and culture programs in schools. Greens will also change the Canada Revenue Act to allow arts and culture workers to average their taxes to take into account the fact that often lean years follow a good year when a book is published or a grant or prize is won.
What does your campaign propose for the future of Arts and Culture?
More stable funding, and more recognition that arts are essential to Canadian identity and our quality of life, as well as a significant economic driver. Arts and culture have the potential to generate billions of dollars and thousands of good jobs in Canada, and the Department of Industry and Heritage Canada need to understand this. Greens want to give the arts the public support they deserve, so that they can grow and thrive. Funding is key to that, but so is artistic independence, which is why we would establish arm’s-length committees to appoint the heads of cultural organizations like the CRTC, the Canada Council for the Arts, the CBC, and Telefilm Canada.
Canadian content quotas and copyright also need to be looked at to find new ways to help Canadian artists succeed, as well as how we do funding, regulation, and legislation for digital media. The Green Party supports the Canadian Coalition’s call for a House of Commons committee to review these and establish a comprehensive Canadian Cultural Digital Strategy.
The Green Party has almost three pages of policies in its policy book, Vision Green, available online at http://www.greenparty.ca and fully searchable. I think you’ll find that we have the most comprehensive set of policies on the arts of any federal political party in Canada.
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ProArt Alliance of Greater Victoria
info@proartalliance.ca
www.proartalliance.ca
1609 Blanshard St., Unit B
Victoria, BC V8W 2J5
ProArt Alliance of Greater Victoria 