Harper government, enemy of the arts?

Harper government, enemy of the arts?

Excellent article on the Conservative party's complete absence during the election campaign whenever an arts and culture debate presented.

EXCERPT

OTTAWA — Liberal, NDP and Green Party representatives were there. Even Communist and Marijuana candidates made it to Ottawa’s Cube Gallery last week for an all-party debate on arts policy. But there was no Conservative representation — and should we be surprised?
A couple of nights later, the Canadian Conference of The Arts, the country’s leading cultural service organization, organized another such gathering in the national capital — and again, the Tories did not attend.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, more than 70 arts organizations from across the country unveiled a major election manifesto calling for a renewed commitment by all political stripes to support the arts. Arts leaders also requested meetings with party representatives to discuss the document. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was quick to oblige, as were NDP and Bloc Quebecois candidates. Again, there was no response from the Conservatives.
There’s a pattern here, and it runs across the country…

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