Christy Clark says she'll restore arts funding

Liberal leadership candidate Christy Clark has told an arts advocacy group she will restore arts funding to 2008/09 levels.

Clark’s campaign has ignored repeated requests from the Straight for an interview regarding her arts policies, but in a letter to Arts Advocacy B.C., the Liberal leadership hopeful said she would stand by the recommendations of the bipartisan standing committee on finance and government services.

“As a strong believer in the work done by the select standing committees, I support their recommendations and would return to the 2008/09 funding levels,” wrote Clark to AABC, which has teamed up with the Alliance for Arts and Culture to survey leadership candidates in the provincial parties.

In response to the AABC’s question regarding the 1999 Memorandum of Agreement with the B.C. Association of Charitable Gaming, which stipulated that one-third of net gaming revenues would go to charities and non-profits, Clark wrote: “While I remain a proponent of boosting gaming grants in key areas like the arts”¦I do not believe that in our current deficit situation that it will be realistic to provide the level of overall gaming grant funding that would be required to meet the standard laid out in the 1999 MOA.”

As part of her campaign promises, Clark earlier pledged to boost community gaming grants by $15 million and promised to review the current governance and funding formula for gaming grants. Clark has not explicitly addressed the restoration of eligibility to adult arts, sport, and environmental groups.

Comments

12 Comments

ds

Feb 10, 2011 at 2:35pm

And if she does restore them, and that's a big if, where will she cut from?
Health and education, I wonder.

Fan'o Truth

Feb 10, 2011 at 3:28pm

Christy Clark says she'll restore arts funding as soon as she's finished on the Prosperity Mine thing, which she says is part of her Families First stuff.

Dan Clay

Feb 10, 2011 at 5:39pm

Is there any thing these potential wanna be Premiers, wont say to get the power of the premier? We can thank the gordon for setting up the complete mistrust, found in our political situation, supported by the big business community, presently backing their choices for Premier.

glen p robbins

Feb 10, 2011 at 6:04pm

I don't trust Christy Clark--anybody who isn't on her squad and knows her will say the same thing.

Steven Walker

Feb 10, 2011 at 8:15pm

BC Liberals belong to an ideological school of thought called neoliberalism. Ultimately, they want to see the private sector in charge and do not believe in a viable public sector. Offers of restored arts funding are just meant to entice a moderate electorate. Pro- business parties often campaign from the left. Once elected, though, expect them to govern from the right. If you believe in their perspective then, by all means, vote for them. But, if you believe in anything public, you are looking at the wrong party and the wrong candidate.

Sven Crawson

Feb 10, 2011 at 8:50pm

She'll say anything to get elected.

Chet

Feb 11, 2011 at 2:44am

Who cares what she'll do ?
Except Hands off Fish Lake You have no clue

d-generation

Feb 11, 2011 at 9:48am

thank you for not posting her phony smile with this story. i''ve seen enough of that crocodile's mug in the news lately. it's causing me to lose weight from loss of appetite.

bowser

Feb 12, 2011 at 6:39pm

The arts are doing just find as far as I am concerned. How about putting some criminals in jail for a long time?????