Political Parties Respond to Arts Sector Questionnaire

SAA Bulletin – October 2003

The arts and culture sector makes an indispensable contribution to our province. So, the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance asked our provincial political party leaders to articulate their position and measures they plan to establish to support the arts and culture sector. If support of the arts is one of your interests in the upcoming election, you might want to consider each party?s current election platforms as well as positions they have taken on the arts in the past.

Of the registered provincial political parties written to, three responded to the questionnaire and the Saskatchewan Liberal Party provided its ?Arts and Culture Platform Policy?.

The Liberal Party Platform Policy states support for funding arts and culture through lottery and gaming profits, and supports some aspects of the cultural industries.

While giving qualified commitment in some areas, the New Democratic Party supported a pan-departmental cultural policy, increased funding to the Saskatchewan Arts Board and maintaining its arms? length status, maintaining a dedicated government department, and continuing funding of the Cultural Industries Development Council.

The New Green Alliance affirmed support for all questions.

The Saskatchewan Party committed to maintaining the current level of existing funding to arts and gave qualified support in other areas mentioning, in the case of the dedicated government department and status of the artist commission, a need to review based on five criteria: public interest, affordable, accountable, effective delivery, and growing the population.

Highlights of the responses are in the chart below. The Liberal Party responses are derived from its Arts and Culture Platform Policy which can be found at Liberal Arts and Culture Platform Policy. Here is a link to the complete questionnaire and responses, Arts Sector Questionnaire

[CODE:

	Liberal Party (derived from Arts and Culture Platform Policy)	New Democratic Party	New Green Alliance	Saskatchewan Party
1. Amendment to Status of the Artist Act	Not referenced in Platform Policy	Qualified support upon review	Affirms support	Qualified support upon review
Formation of a Status of the Artist Commission		Qualified support dependent on Ministerial Advisory Committee identified issues		Qualified support upon review based on 5 criteria
2. A pro-active pan-departmental arts and culture policy	Not referenced in Platform Policy	Commits support	Affirms support	Encourages sector to be proactive
3. Saskatchewan Arts Board funding	Not referenced in Platform Policy	Commits to increase funding by $1.5 million by 2005	Affirms support	Will maintain current level of existing funding to arts. Impact of ?Get Sask. Growing? will mean more funding available for programs and services
4. Lottery funding to culture/increased investment	Supports this form of funding	Supports this form of fundingQualified support for increasing investment	Affirms support	Supports this form of funding. Qualified support for increasing investment dependent on review
5. Advancement of 1997 Cultural Industries Development Strategy	Commits to support Film and Video and new media industry	Commits to ongoing funding to Cultural Industries Development Council and to work with community using strategy as framework	Affirms support	Sask. Party economic growth plan could have positive impact on key strategy elements.
6. Dedicated government department	Not referenced in Platform Policy	Commits to maintain a separate department	Affirms support	Would review nature and scope based on 5 criteria.

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