The election has come and gone, and with that, we have a new federal government in Canada. Whether the results have you licking your wounds, wringing your hands, or breathing a sigh of relief, the end result is the same for us all: a majority Liberal government, and a new Prime Minister: Mr Justin Trudeau.
What does this mean for the arts? The Liberal party’s campaign included a lot of promises for to the cultural sector. Pulled straight from the Liberal party platform, “A New Plan for a Strong Middle Class“, the promises are big, and many directly reflect the requests that the CCF/FCMA and our many colleagues in cultural advocacy have been asking for for many years.
The Liberal Party has promised to:
- double investment in the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million each year
- increase funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, with a new investment totalling $25 million each year
- restore the Promart and Trade Routes international cultural promotion programs cut by Stephen Harper, and increase funding in these programs to $25 milllion each year
- create 40,000 youth jobs each year, increasing funding for the Young Canada Works program to help prepare the next generation of Canadians working in the heritage sector
- provide significant new investments in cultural infrastructure as part of an investment in social infrastructure
- reverse Stephen Harper’s cuts and invest $150 million in new annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, to be delivered in consultation with the broadcaster and the Canadian cultural community
- develop a new official languages plan to support English and French linguistic minorities
- develop a new export promotion strategy that will help businesses take advantage of new trade agreements.
Specifically for the craft community, the investments in the Canada Council for the Arts, the restoration of the Promart and Trade Routes cultural promotion programs, and the increase in funding for the Young Canada Works program would directly impact access and opportunity for the sector. The other promises, depending on how they are implemented, may very well increase opportunities for craft specific artists and organizations as well.
The CCF/FCMA is excited for the opportunity to work with new and returning MPs from all political stripes across the country to make positive change for the cultural sector. In the coming weeks, months, and years, we will reach out to this new government, remind them of their promises, continue to express how important these promises are to the cultural sector, and to encourage implementation to benefit the Canadian Cultural Sector at large.
It is a new day, with a new government, but our work on behalf of the sector continues.