Statement made on 14 June 2011 by Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool
Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool:
Honourable senators, in March, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française expressed its profound disappointment with the Conservative government's budget. According to the federation, the budget does not acknowledge the importance the creative economy plays in the economic recovery despite the fact that investment in this sector pays off, particularly in terms of job creation. This cultural federation is part of the Canadian Arts Coalition and participated in Arts Day on Parliament Hill on November 4, 2010, which informed parliamentarians about two key recommendations from the arts sector: increasing the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts by an additional $30 million per year in each of the next four years; and investing $25 million in strategic international market access and development initiatives.
Clearly the government's budget does not respond to the sector's demands. Could the Leader of the Government in the Senate tell us what message this budget is sending to the arts and culture sector?
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