......CCA strongly encourages its members and member organizations from throughout the sector to not only write the leader of the Conservative Party (Harper.S@parl.gc.ca), but to also send concrete examples of how TST works -- and should be continued! -- to all the parties’ Canadian Heritage critics in the House of Commons, including the Parliamentary Secretary. Please address your letters to the following Parliamentarians as well, and copy CCA:

• Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party: Angus.C@parl.gc.ca
• Maka Kotto, Bloq Québecois: Kotto.M@parl.ca
• Bev Oda, Conservative Party: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
• Hon. Sarmite Bulte, Parliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage, Liberal Party: Bulte.S@parl.gc.ca

That, in response to the request by the artists and cultural communities across Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for the renewal of Tomorrow Starts today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage report in the House the intent of this government to renew or not renew this program before the end of this session of the House and whether it will be renewed as an A based program or not.

"A based" programs are long term funding programs without sunset dates which are evaluated every five years. There was discussion and agreement amongst the members of the Committee on the need for TST or its successor to be an A based program.

Representatives from the Department of Canadian Heritage were present at the Committee meeting to present the members with background material on TST, and to answer questions from the members. The DCH officials emphasized that TST is not merely a single program, but actually a collection of distinct programs, including Cultural Spaces Canada, Book Publishing Industry Development Program, Canadian Culture Online, and the Cultural Capitals of Canada. In total, TST funds represent more than 65% of the Department’s support for the arts, book publishing, sound recording, new media industries, and cultural export programs.

Though members of the committee were ultimately supportive of the funding, some expressed concerns on the manner in which it was distributed. Conservative MP Gary Schellenberger (Perth-Wellington, ON) expressed concern that the funding had been used in the past by the Liberal government as a political tool, while Bloc Quebecois Culture Critic Maka Kotto (Saint-Larent, QC) noted that his party would prefer to see all of the TST funds administered by the provinces.

The DCH representatives noted that they are continuing to serve their "clients" by accepting applications for funding programs for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, but with an expressed caveat that the funding is contingent on the renewal of TST. NDP Culture Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, ON) expressed frustration at the manner in which the renewal was being held up, and stated his concern that the funding would be renewed, only after the arts community was subjected to a "dance of a thousand ve".

Conservative Bev Oda followed on this point, expressing the sentiment that "It's appalling that arts groups have had to come to Ottawa to lobby for this renewal."

Representatives of the Department noted some of the key successes of Tomorrow Starts Today:

• Increasing links between artists and audiences in hundreds of communities through performances, exhibitions and investments in physical spaces

• Supporting next generation of professional artists through training

• Building the long-term economic future of arts organizations

• Building a modern and efficient Canadian book industry supply chain, and increasing the profile of Canadian authors

• Ensuring a prominent place for Canadian music talent despite intense competition in digital, global environment

• Creating a uniquely Canadian presence in both official languages on the Internet

• Exports: expanding exports of Canadian cultural goods and services and diversifying markets globally

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CCA Bulletin November 17, 2004
UPDATE ON TOMORROW STARTS TODAY DEBATE

Ottawa, November 17, 2004 - Last evening, Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla appeared before the Committee of the Whole in the House of Commons to defend her Department’s spending as part of the debate on the 2004-05 estimates. Parliamentary procedure dictates that when the government tables its budgetary estimates, the Leader of the Opposition – in this case, Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party of Canada – may select two sets of departments' estimates for scrutiny; Canadian Heritage was selected as one of the two "lucky" choices.

In a gruelling 4-hour, often heated, at times good-humoured debate, the Minister faced a series of direct questions from the Opposition parties and her own Liberal colleagues about the Department’s finances and programs. CCA "took in all the action" from the gallery and brings you the following "highlights report" from the House, which is also informed by the Hansards released earlier today.

It is interesting, though not surprising, to note that the debate on both sides often veered away from the estimates themselves, and into a broader discussion of the current state of the Department and issues that affect Canada's artists, cultural workers, and the public at large. The debate touched on current "hot cultural topics", such as: foreign ownership regulations in the media, cable, and telecommunications industries; international negotiations on cultural diversity with UNESCO; Canadian content policies; the CRTC and, specifically, the recent CHOI FM, RAI, and FOX News decisions and ensuing controversies; copyright reform; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, including its dramatic television production; and, of course, the renewal of the "Tomorrow Starts Today" (TST) funding program. It was also surprising that some of the most supportive statements about the arts and culture came from unusual sources!

A few notable excerpts from the debate are included at the bottom of this bulletin. The full transcripts can be found at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/025_2004-11 -16/HAN025-E.htm


Support from the Yukon
CCA has learned that Yukon's Minister of Tourism and Culture, Elaine Taylor, put forth a notice of motion in the Yukon Legislature on Monday, November 15th on the renewal of TST. Motion #361 reads as follows:

THAT this House urges the Government of Canada to renew the Tomorrow Starts Today Initiative and the Historic Places Initiative and to continue these programs for at least five years at the current or an increased level of investment.

Minister Taylor has also sent a letter to the Minister of Canadian Heritage outlining the Government of Yukon's support for the Department of Heritage's Tomorrow Starts Today program. This news comes on the heels of the unanimous declaration in support of renewing TST adopted at the recent meeting of the Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Culture held in Halifax, Nova Scotia just a few weeks ago (see CCA Bulletin 52/04).


Pre-Budget Consultations 2004
For the first time in a few years, the Standing Committee on Finance will be hearing arts and cultural groups' presentations together. Three separate panels on "Culture" are scheduled for next Monday, November 22nd and Tuesday, November 23rd in Ottawa.

Details are available at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/committee/CommitteeList.aspx? SelectedElementId=e21_&Lang=1&ParlSession=381&CommitteeId=8977

CCA’s own 2004 pre-budget submission The Artist is at the Centre of Everything is available at www.ccarts.ca. Front and centre is CCA's #1 recommendation that the government renew the TST program, as well as six other critical recommendations, which include changes to Employment Insurance and tax regulations.

All these events are occurring within a very short period of time, adding to the momentum which is building in making the case for sustainable, permanent federal funding to the arts and culture sector across this country. Members of Parliament are listening, so take the time to make your opinion known!

*** Here is a taste of what was said in the House debate yesterday evening:

Tomorrow Starts Today

Bev Oda, MP for Durham, and culture critic for the Conservative Party:
"This side of the House has never indicated it does not support the program [TST]. In fact, what we want is to ensure that the maximum dollars are going to those it was intended to support.... May I then ask the minister for her assurance that no program will be cut and no funding agency will be cut, and that the levels of support will be guaranteed this year and into the next year?"

Hon. Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage:
"… this is my firm intention – that our creators, our producers, our people in the film industry and our museums, in terms of collections, would not be affected…. It is the goal of Canadian Heritage, and I think it is also the goal of my colleagues, to have the Tomorrow Starts Today program renewed. However, such a renewal requires the agreement of all my colleagues and of the Minister of Finance who looks at the overall picture and decides if we can afford it or not."


Canada Council

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"When we asked our major national museums to see whether they could cut 5%, we did not ask the Canada Council because we felt that, as part of its role, funding goes through the Canada Council directly to artists."


Cultural Policy

Maka Kotto (MP for Saint-Lambert, and culture critic for the Bloc Québécois):
"Since last August, the Minister of Canadian Heritage has been talking about a possible Canadian cultural policy, which is an issue that we discussed recently…. What is this cultural policy the Minister… is talking about?"

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"The cultural policy… has three objectives. The first and most important one is to put the creator at the core of our concerns. The second one is to strengthen our Canadian identity. Finally, the third one is to promote accessibility…. when we have an integrated cultural policy and put creators at the core of our concerns, it is very easy for me to tell my colleague, the revenue minister that we made a government decision and that we have this cultural policy which provides, in the first of its three objectives, that creators are important."


Status of the Artist

Charlie Angus (MP for Timmins-James Bay, NDP culture critic):
"[On] status of the artist … we must realize that our artists, despite their high education, make an average of $23,500, which comes down to 26% less than the average Canadian. There is no denying this. Those who say we need to increase and support measures aimed at supporting our artists are absolutely right. We need to keep on doing it together."

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"I would then ask the Minister [of Revenue] how to improve the status of the artist, which is so important to us, knowing that labour laws come under the jurisdiction of the provinces."


CBC

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"[We] spoke last week about the possibility of reviewing regional programming in order to bring back Radio-Canada and the CBC closer to the communities across Canada, since it is in their mandate to do so. Mr Rabinovitch is supposed to submit his strategic plan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. We will use this plan as a framework to see what we can do and how much flexibility we have."

Monte Solbert (CPC MP for Medicine Hat):
"We want to conserve the best of Canadian culture and find ways to do that…. I am concerned that we are not getting value for money when it comes to English language TV… I am talking about English language TV."


Copyright

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"New distribution technologies have emerged, and it is even easier to copy or obtain works without paying for them. This is the case, for example, in the music field. And it is our artists who ultimately pay the price. We must give our artists the means to receive remuneration for their work. It is exactly for this purpose that the Department of Canadian Heritage is working with the Department of Industry to modernize the Copyright Act."


Cultural Diversity/International Convention

Hon. Liza Frulla:
"I firmly believe that each country must be able to adopt its own cultural policies and to have the tools for protecting its own forms of expression. This is why I am committed to working for the adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Content and Artistic Expression within the framework of UNESCO…. [Cultural diversity] is an engine for cultural, economic and social development. It is an asset that will enable Canada to become a leader in the 21st century."

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CCA Bulletin November 15, 2004
CCA ADVOCACY ALERT -- THE TIME TO DEFEND FEDERAL ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING IS NOW!

Ottawa, November 15, 2004 - The press has been abuzz this past week with news of meetings in which Canadian Heritage Minister Liza Frulla has been appealing to the arts and culture community to step up their advocacy efforts in support of the renewal of the Tomorrow Starts Today (TST) funding program.

The original TST initiative was announced as a three year $560 million investment in 2001 and was extended for a fourth year in 2004 for an additional $207 million. It is currently scheduled to conclude at the end of March 2005. CCA members are united in their support for the extension of TST on a permanent basis as the need for sustainable funding is urgent. This recommendation is issue #1 front and centre in CCA’s 2004 Pre-Budget Submission (see CCA bulletin 48/04), which we will present to the Finance Committee on November 23rd. CCA has also been asking our member organizations and individuals to write their MPs for many months now (see CCA bulletins 41/04, 44/04 and 47/04) in order to advocate for TST.

In the November 10th edition of Le Devoir, Paul Cauchon reports that Mme. Frulla, in a speech to the film and television industry in Montreal, urged attendees to "work together" with her to ensure that a possible 5% reduction in all federal departmental spending does not extend to Canadian Heritage. In particular, the Minister cited the effectiveness of the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts in demonstrating how federal funding goes directly to the support of culture. Any cuts would be seriously damaging to the arts and culture sector in this country, which is mentioned in CCA’s 53/04 bulletin when the 2004/05 Supplementary Estimates (A) were tabled in the House.

More revealing is a November 13th article by Richard Ouzounian in the Toronto Star that reports on a meeting this past Friday that the Minister held with major Toronto performing arts organizations. According to the story, Mme. Frulla’s major agenda was alerting everyone to the precarious status of the TST program. Kevin Garland, Executive Director of the National Ballet of Canada, is quoted as saying "There are questions being raised in the House about the way the funds are being administered and (Frulla’s) been called to defend it next week." The article goes on to say that, according to both Garland and Martin Bragg, Artistic Producer of CanStage, "There (is) a very real chance Tomorrow Starts Today would not be renewed for another year." Reportedly, this Tuesday November 16th the Minister will have to defend the program in the House against the Conservative Party, which is concerned with its "accountability".

CCA applauds its member organization the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) for initiating an email-writing campaign in response to news of this imminent threat to the future financial support of Canada’s arts and culture.

For details and information on how you should participate, see: http://www.pact.ca/act_GetFile.cfm? pdf=Advocacy%20Alert%20November%2015%2C%202004%2Epdf

The following is an excerpt from the November 15th PACT release: "PACT is urging everyone in the culture community, including those members of our audience and local community who support a strong Canadian culture, to ACT TODAY. Mr. Harper will be appearing in Parliament tomorrow - Tuesday, November 16th - and is expected to address party concerns about accountability in the funding processes at the Department of Canadian Heritage and with the Tomorrow Starts Today program."

"Each year, the official opposition can request that a Minister come before Parliament to defend their portfolio's spending. This year, PACT has been advised that the Conservative Party has targeted the Heritage Department and will spend four hours questioning the value of the Department's direct spending (for example on the programs including Stabilization, Cultural Spaces Canada, and Arts Presenters that are part of the "Tomorrow Starts Today" package) - and, possibly, funding to cultural agencies, including The Canada Council. The Conservatives have indicated that their concerns revolve around accountability, measurable results, whether the Department's spending programs are beneficial to the community, and whether they promote sustainability. They are preparing to mount the same attack on the extension of 'Tomorrow Starts Today' when it comes up for renewal."

"This information was obtained at a luncheon Friday November 12th from the Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla through staff of PACT Member the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People."

Further, CCA strongly encourages its members and member organizations from throughout the sector to not only write the leader of the Conservative Party (Harper.S@parl.gc.ca), but to also send concrete examples of how TST works -- and should be continued! -- to all the parties' Canadian Heritage critics in the House of Commons, including the Parliamentary Secretary. Please address your letters to the following Parliamentarians as well, and copy CCA:

• Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party: Angus.C@parl.gc.ca
• Maka Kotto, Bloq Québecois: Kotto.M@parl.ca
• Bev Oda, Conservative Party: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
• Hon. Sarmite Bulte, Parliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage, Liberal Party: Bulte.S@parl.gc.ca