ACI Comments on Provincial Budget

The Association of Cultural Industries of Newfoundland Labrador (ACI) attended yesterday's budget announcement in St. John's and wishes to congratulate Premier Danny Williams and Finance Minister Jerome Kennedy on making difficult budget decisions in tough times.

There were no cuts to arts and culture, the sector most often hit in other jurisdictions during times of belt-tightening. The Williams government defined the arts and culture sector as "pure gold" in the budget speech and is obviously dedicated to investing in its development and growth. If tourism is one of the engines that drive this province, arts and culture is the gasoline.

In 2004, ACI researched and wrote the white paper that would inform the Williams government's groundbreaking 2006 document Creative Newfoundland and Labrador: A Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture. This unprecedented 3-year plan for culture expires this month, and we know that as late as August of 2008 the government was in consultation with the sector, and hard at work developing a new plan to build on the enormous success and momentum created since 2006. This new plan was expected to significantly increase the scope of Creative Newfoundland and Labrador, building upon the foundations for success and professionalization therein. However, with the global economic downturn come reduced economic expectations at home.

This new budget seems to suggest a 1-year stop-gap solution for the culture sector, rather than the hoped-for new 3-year strategy. The budget largely maintains the status quo in the arts and culture sector with only minor increases to funding for the Film Development Corp and the Arts and Letters Awards, as well as a continuation of the $250,000 pledged in 2008 to make up for cuts to Federal export programs.

ACI thinks it may indeed be prudent to not develop a new 3-year plan during times of reduced expectations. The arts and culture sector has come too far forward with Creative Newfoundland and Labrador to risk taking any step backward.

By this time next year, ACI hopes the fortunes of the sector will improve commensurate with the economy, and that we will see continued efforts on the part of the government to develop the culture sector, a key component in our province's tourism, recruitment, and retention strategies.

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For more information or comment, please contact ACI Executive Director George Murray at 709.738.4333 or execdir@aci.nfld.net