Metro's potential Ottawa reps lay out arts and culture platform.

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John Pollack

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Three of the four candidates vying to represent Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe told [here] the arts and culture sector is a vital part of Metro Moncton.

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All four candidates were sent the same two questions: "Where does arts and culture lie on your priority list for Metro Moncton and why?" and "What is your stance on the future of arts and culture funding programs like PromArt and Trade Routes?"

Green party candidate Alison Ménard, Liberal Brian Murphy, and NDP candidate Carl Baingridge all weighed in.

Ménard referred to arts and cultural activities as "the heart and soul of a community."

She said the arts in Metro Moncton reflect the linguistic and cultural differences of the community and its artists.

"These activities help define our identities and bring the special qualities of Maritimers and Acadians to the national and international scene," she said.

Ménard also said arts and culture contributes to our economy in ways she feels are sometimes taken for granted.

"Arts and culture also go hand-in-hand with the tourism industry," she said.

Murphy also touched on the economic side of arts and culture.

"Cultural industries contributed $40 billion to Canada's GDP in 2002 alone," he said. "During that same year, mining and oil and gas extraction contributed only $35.4 billion."

He also said the sector plays a central role in defining who we are as a people.

"For me, the arts and culture plays a significant and central role in how I describe the amazing and distinct region I am proud to call home," he said.

Baingridge said he can't imagine Metro Moncton without its cultural community.

"This country is rich in culture and we need to protect this particularity of Canada," Bainbridge said. All three spoke negatively of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's arts record.

"The Green party abhors the Harper Government's cancellation of both the $4.7 million PromArt program which aided artists with travel costs and the $9 million Trade Routes program that promotes cultural exports," said Ménard.

Murphy talked about how he feels these programs are important.

"Foreign Affairs Canada has a mandate to promote Canadian arts and culture abroad; this will not be attainable without a program," he said. "PromArt's support of international touring has elevated Canadian artists in the international forum. These programs are absolutely necessary to ensure that our artistic fabric is able to be shared with the rest of the world."

Baingridge said the NDP would provide an annual federal tax exemption of $20,000 for income earned from copyright and residual income as well as ensure prime time TV is written, directed and starred by Canadians and the content of those shows would be about Canada.

Murphy said his party wants the programs back.

"Once re-elected I will continue to fight for the re-introduction of these programs," he said. "In fact a Liberal government will reintroduce these important programs to ensure the continuation of a vibrant artistic community in Canada."

Ménard highlighted her party's arts platform to set a percentage of the federal budget for arts and to equalize arts funding across Canada to bring everyone up to the "highest current standards. The Green Party's platform also states they would provide incentives for jurisdictions to "restore and improve" artistic and cultural school and extra-curricular activities and establish a system where "outstanding individual artists are supported to perfect their craft," said Ménard.

Conservative candidate Daniel Allain did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

In the Oct. 2 English-language leaders debate Stephen Harper defended his cuts saying "these were programs that were no longer effective that's why we moved the funding to things that are more effective."

He also put forth his party's plan to give parents a $500-tax credit if they enroll their kids in artistic activities.

"That should really help sustain and develop the cultural life of this country," said Harper.