Many of you recall the trimming of a couple of inefficient government programs that helped pay for artists to tour the world. Well I have good news for those of us who pay our own way when we travel. Minister James Moore has stuck to his guns and will not be extending the programs as they are inefficient.
Art groups are upset the government refuses to reinstate two funds — the $7.1-million Trade Routes program and the $4.8-million Arts Promotion program — that helped with international travel and marketing.
The government maintains the programs were inefficient.
Trade Routes spent $5 million paying people to “push paper” and only $2 million went to the artists, said Heritage Minister James Moore’s spokeswoman Deirdra McCracken.
What many people should pay attention to is the addtional fact in this article that the Conservative government is not trimming arts funding. They are in fact spending over $540 million on arts and culture over two years in the middle of a recession to help these areas. What they are NOT doing is blowing cash on wasted paper pushing and free world travel.
Alain Dancyger, the executive director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, said he had to beg donors in Egypt this spring to make up a $250,000 travel budget shortfall for the company’s historic Middle East tour.
“It was embarrassing,” he said. Donors were asking why they should give if the Canadian government was refusing to help, he said.
Newsflash: When my daughter’s volleyball club was looking to raise funds for travel or some new equipment, the girls on the team went door to door selling maple fudge. I wonder if Mr. Dancyger has thought to try this. I am willing to bet he has not. With countless people not even travelling these days because of the recession, I am ecstatic that this boondoggle has been put to rest.
Minister James Moore gets a gold star in my grading book.