Budget a Bust for Culture
Toronto, February 26, 2008 – The Conservative government continues to ignore artists and creators with its latest federal budget, says ACTRA.
“This government had the opportunity today to step up and demonstrate its commitment to Canadian culture and the performers and creators who are important contributors to our nation and our economy, but it chose not to do so,” said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s National Executive Director.
ACTRA was looking for increased funding for the CBC, Telefilm and the CTF. Telefilm has not had a funding increase for six years. For at least the past five years, the CBC has received $60 million in so-called ‘non-recurring’ funding that should long ago have been converted to base funding. ACTRA has also long sought a system of income averaging to provide tax fairness for artists.
“A modest funding increase for Canada’s key cultural institutions would have been a win-win-win for this government. Cultural investment generates economic activity, provides opportunities for performers and other creators, and generates high-quality Canadian programming and films audiences want to watch. In tough times, that’s exactly the kind of investment government should be making, but they’ve failed to act,”
said Richard Hardacre, ACTRA National President.
“The diminishing presence of Canadian drama on our television screens, the lack of Canadian films in our theatres, chronic under-funding of our cultural institutions and the lack of tax fairness for artists point to a future in which Canadians have no voice,” said Waddell.
