OTTAWA -- The federal government will cancel a program on Friday that sent artists abroad to promote Canadian culture because the program's grant recipients included "a general radical," "a left-wing and anti-globalization think-tank" and a rock band that uses an expletive as part of its name.
The Conservatives are cancelling the $4.7-million PromArt program administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade because most of the money "went to groups that would raise the eyebrows of any typical Canadian," said a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Meet Conservative right hand:
Dishing out taxpayers’ dollars is hardly alien to governments, and a UFO fest in Shag Harbour has received a $2,000 boost from Ottawa.Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
The money is for the Shag Harbour Incident Festival, which will commemorate a "well-documented sighting of an unidentified flying object in the skies above Shag Harbour," a recent release from the federal government says.
It says the festival will take place Aug. 8 and 9, and feature lectures, artisan displays, tours of the site and other activities.
The federal government provided the money through the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program, overseen by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the release says.
6 comments:
Great post. Wonderful juxtaposition. Had no idea re. UFO-fest in Shag Harbour, NS, Gerald Keddy, MP. Wonder whether indicates just how worried they are about holding riding given Casey kerfuffle. Even so, does 2000$ buy enough votes from Shag residents to offset bad publicity leading to lost votes from other residents in riding-province-country who are bemused by funding? Doubt it. But maybe enough think "way to go get the pork, Tory MP!"? Doubt it.
Très bien fait, M. C-B à T.O..
It's not Warren Kinsella's band, Sh** from Hell?
$4,000,000 for artists to promote art outside Canada? When did that become government's responsibility? Are votes really "bought" like that? You're beginning to get to the difference between "Liberal" and "Conservative". Now if only we could cut funding to a stupid UFO conferences and a stupid 400 year parties in Quebec. Maybe then we could afford things like, oh, I don't know, training doctors? A respectable military? Extra prison space so the mantra of "overcrowding" can die? Imagine what a billion a year could buy if we ditched the redundant CBC?
I don't know about you guys but in my house we pay for necessities first, luxuries second, and we certainly don't use other people's money for those luxuries.
"The Rat" lists his industry as "education" and his occupation as "instructor." I guess we can reasonnably conclude no public funds are needed for his upkeep.
So you're saying Rat that no government spending is meretorious unless it buys votes? That's an opinion, I suppose, but not one I share.
No Jeff, exactly the opposite. Government funding on spiffy projects to buy votes is utterly wrong when we have more pressing needs. The arts are just one example.
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