BC arts funding cuts discussed in Question Period

This could be titled "Question-without-answer Period." September 17, 2009, the opposition challenged the BC Liberals on their misleading statements on the cuts to arts funding. Sound isn't quite synced to picture, but it still comes across clearly. Spencer Herbert and Norm Macdonald mention a number of prominent BC artists and celebrities who have protested the cuts, including Sarah MacLachlan, Douglas Coupland, Brian Jungen and Kim Cattrall.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• BC Liberals
• Kevin Krueger
• Spencer Herbert
• Gordon Campbell
• Question period
• Hansard
• video
• Norm Macdonald
• Douglas Coupland
• Brian Jungen
• Sarah MacLachlan
• Kim Cattrall

[lidsvillebrown]

PS The monies Krueger is talking about, including the "150" don't erase the 50% this 80% next year cuts. It's a shell game. That money came from the monies already confiscated from the gaming funds, which were removed from the organiz'ns they'd more or less been promised to, and giving it to the BC Arts Council. All it amounts to is moving money around. Furthermore, monies granted by the BCAC to organiz's this year COMES OFF what they could be given next year! So effectively Krueger's lying.

[lidsvillebrown]

About 30 seconds in, Krueger says "this government's commitment to the arts is abundantly clear" and the House erupts in laughter.

[KaylaGrabia]

How can we cut something that is so fundamental to the wellbeing of society. We need creativity. The one question we have to ask ourselves is can we live without music? Can we live without the painting we see in the window? If we do not invest in the culture of our society, then we wont have culture. But then again we continue to vote for representative within the government that we wont speak out against. Kevin Krueger is a irrelevant man, who does not understand what art is.

[gwokluhng999]

The 2007 payraise for MLAs alone costs BC taxpayes an extra 8.3 million annually outside of their "extra duty" pay that can cost as much as $34 million a year. If they are serious about helping serve the public interest in a time of economic crunch, they should take a 50% pay cut to their own ridiculous salaries. Which run over $250,000 annually EACH to the deputy ministers alone. I didn't vote for them, and yet I pay taxes for their decisions that decrease my chance for a viable livelihood.