AABC is now working with the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture to pose these questions to the candidates for the leadership of each party. Check here to follow our progress.

Here they are:
(The asterisk indicates that answers will be found below.)

LIBERAL George Abbott* Christy Clark* Mike de Jong Kevin Falcon*	NDP Adrian Dix* Mike Farnworth* John Horgan* Dana Larsen* Nicholas Simons*
GREEN PARTY Jane Sterk, leader*	BC CONSERVATIVE PARTY Wayne McGrath, president*
BC FIRST PARTY Blake MacKenzie

We’ll be posting their answers here as we receive them.

FROM GEORGE ABBOTT, LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR SHUSWAP

Dear Amir Ali Alibhai, Executive Director:

Thank you for your letter and the opportunity to respond. Here are my answers to your questions:

1.  Yes. As I committed in my news release of December 3, 2010 , I would restore both funding for the arts through gaming grants and through the BC Arts Council to 2008-09 levels. I would also restore the eligibility criteria for direct access grants so that adult arts and culture activities would once again be eligible. Finally, I would undertake a review of the BC Arts Council to help restore its independence as an advocate on behalf of the arts in this province.

2.     It is important to recognize that while a portion of gaming revenue is returned to charities on an annual basis, gaming revenue is also an essential revenue stream to fund health, education and other social programs for our citizens. While I remain a proponent of boosting gaming grants in key areas like the arts as I have announced, 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. However, I do hope that as our fiscal situation improves we will be able to direct more resources to charities through gaming or other means to move ourselves closer towards the spirit of the MOA.

3.     I believe that stable funding is necessary for the sector to thrive; however, I do not believe that our arts funding approach should be solely be judged by per-capita funding. Rather, I believe we have to approach this question from the position of outcomes — what is the quality of arts experience in our communities and economic contribution from our arts sector that we are trying to achieve, and how can we use the resources we have to get there? As Premier, that is a discussion I am willing to have with the community. With the commitment to returning to 2008-09 levels and new programs such as the $60-million Arts Legacy Fund, the arts sector will see a significant boost in the coming years. Through our budget process, we will keep examining opportunities to support those outcomes and objectives as our fiscal situation improves.

4.     I would be very interested in an ongoing process between my government and the arts community to develop a sustainable vision for arts in the province and examine new ways to address ongoing needs for resources. As a province, it is our obligation to balance the fiscal needs of the arts community with the fiscal needs of the myriad of other programs supported by government. If we are going to advance arts in this province and still respect the need to achieve that balance, we must build that vision openly and collaboratively.

Once again, thank you for the opportunity to respond, and I wish you and your organization all the best in the coming year.

Regards,

George Abbott

BC Liberal Leadership Candidate and MLA for Shuswap

FROM KEVIN FALCON, LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR SURREY-CLOVERDALE
Mr. Falcon has now replied twice with the following:

Thank you for your email regarding the importance of arts and culture in B.C. Unfortunately, leadership campaigns are substantially different than full elections, and we do not have the resources to respond to questionnaires. However, we are looking at all corresondence submitted to us and will endeavour to answer as many as time permits during the campaign. Best regards,  Corrie

FROM CHRISTY CLARK, LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE

1.
Q. Would you restore arts funding to the 2008/09 levels?
A. 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.

2.
Q. Will you honour the 1999 agreement to allocate 33.3 percent of gaming revenues to non-profits, or agree to re-negotiate that agreement in good faith?
A. These are difficult economic times and I want to make sure that we maintain our fiscal discipline. At the same time, groups who count on gaming grants
as a source of revenue need some assurance, which is why I will ask a retired judge to chair a review of the way gaming grants are allocated to all groups in the province to ensure there is a stable and sustainable funding formula.
The arts community will have a voice at the table during the review of gaming grants as we all work to create a funding system that works for government and the groups that count on the funding.

3.
Q. Would you take measurable steps during their first mandate to raise BC’s per capita funding of the arts to at least the national average?
A. As a supporter of the arts, I know the contribution the sector makes. I want to consult with stakeholders to review the issue of funding the arts. It’s important to ensure that we are using measures that are comparable from province to province.

4.
Q. Would you engage in an arts community driven consultation to create a cultural development and arts funding policy for BC?
A. Yes. I believe the arts and culture community is important to the social and economic health of the province. It is time to put an end to the yo-yo effect on funding and realize the positive impact of arts and culture in British Columbia, from our youngest resident to the oldest.

FROM NICHOLAS SIMONS, NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR POWELL RIVER AND THE SUNSHINE COAST

Dear Advocates for the Arts:

There is overwhelming evidence to support stable, long-term funding for the Arts both for economic reasons as well as to promote community health. The Arts are not a luxury or a frill; they enrich our communities, promote social well-being, and strengthen our economies.  I say “yes” to the four policy requests of the Alliance.

British Columbia has the lowest per capita funding for the Arts in all of Canada. According to the government’s own report, for every $1.00 invested, there is a $1.36 return. Simons says that benefits of the Arts go far beyond their economic value, adding that decisions about the Arts should always involve real consultation with the Arts community.

1. The BC Arts Council should be independent of Government and receive stable funding.
2. Per capita Arts funding should be raised to, at minimum, the national Canadian average.
3. Expand access to community Gaming Grants in accordance with the commitment government made when it expanded gambling, and permit multi-year funding to charities and non-profits.
4. Promote maximum access to, and participation in the arts.

I graduated from a Fine Arts high school (FACE), and have played and taught cello for over 25 years. I have performed and recorded with numerous musical groups and orchestras and hold one Gold Record. My late father, Jan Simons (baritone), was a professor of voice and co-founder of CAMMAC, a non-profit organization founded in 1959 dedicated to promoting participation in musical endeavors and the enjoyment of music.

“I’m slightly troubled by the fact that so often the arts are relegated to a secondary or tertiary role in our societies when, in fact, they really form the cornerstone of our cultures.”
–Nicholas Simons, Inaugural Speech, Legislative Assembly, September 19, 2005

Please feel free to visit my website at www.nicholassimons2011.ca , or visit me on facebook or follow me on Twitter @nicholassimons.

Thank you for the questions.

Harmoniousy,

Nicholas

FROM MIKE FARNWORTH,  NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR PORT COQUITLAM

Amir Ali Alibhai
Executive Director
Alliance for Arts and Culture

Wednesday February 9, 2011

Sent by email to: [email protected]

Dear Mr. Alibhai,

Thank you very much for your letter regarding arts funding.

Let me say quite simply that I am in complete agreement with you that British Columbia must reinvest in the arts, and that it’s necessary to do so not just for the cultural health of our province, but also for the many and varied social and economic benefits provided by a thriving arts and cultural community.

It is an embarrassment in my view that, after ten years of Liberal neglect, BC stands last in it’s level of public investment in grants for arts organizations.

In answer to your specific questions, I say:

1. Will you restore arts funding to the 2008/09 levels?

Yes, it is critical that this funding be restored. One of the things that is so problematic about these cutbacks is the way in which they impacted especially smaller and artist–‐run organizations. These groups are vital not just to allow diversity in expression, but also and often to provide needed cultural outlets for smaller populations, and especially those in rural and remote areas. People across British Columbia and from all backgrounds deserve access to arts and culture, and that is one of the reasons stable funding is so important.

2. Will you honour the 1999 agreement to allocate 33.3 percent of gaming revenues to non–‐profits, or agree to re–‐negotiate that agreement in good faith?

I actually signed the original Memo of Agreement on behalf of the BC Government as Minister of Employment and Investment, so my answer is yes.

3. Will you take measurable steps during their first mandate to raise BC’s per capita funding of the arts to at least the national average?

Yes, taking steps towards meeting the national average would be a priority for the first term of a Mike Farnworth government.

4. Will you engage in an arts community driven consultation to create a cultural development and arts funding policy for BC?

Yes. One of the core values of my campaign is a belief that government must understand that the answers to the challenges facing British Columbia don’t all lie in Victoria. I believe we must reach out, and that innovative solutions to our problems will be found and in some cases already exist in the communities that are most affected by those problems.

Not only will I commit to a consultation driven by the arts community, but I will also ensure that the arts community has a seat at the table of my commission on education in the 21st Century. Arts and culture should not be an after thought for society, but should be embedded into how and what our students are learning, as well as presented in the school system as viable avenues for employment.

I hope you find these answers satisfactory, and I look forward to a continuing dialogue on these important issues.

Sincerely,

Mike Farnworth

FROM DANA LARSEN, NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE

By telephone:

1. Will you restore arts funding to the 2008/09 levels?
Yes. As a start.

2. Will you honour the 1999 agreement to allocate 33.3 percent of gaming revenues to non-profits, or agree to re-negotiate that agreement in good faith?
Yes. And I would work to re-negotiate the agreement. I am not in favour of expansion of gambling.

3. Will you take measurable steps during their first mandate to raise BC’s per capita funding of the arts to at least the national average?
Yes, though I want to look at the figures before I decide just where BC should be placed. Being at the bottom of the list is not acceptable.

4. Will you engage in an arts community driven consultation to create a cultural development and arts funding policy for BC?
Yes, and definitely in consultation with those who are affected by funding policies. This is only fair.

FROM JANE STERK, LEADER, GREEN PARTY OF BC

Green Party of BC
PO Box 8088, STN Central
Victoria, BC V8W 3R7

Toll free: 1-888-473-3686
In Victoria: 250-590-4537

February 9, 2011

Tom Durrie, executive director
Arts Advocacy British Columbia

Amir Ali Alibhai
Executive Director
Alliance for Arts and Culture

Dear Tom and Amir,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your request. We hoped to discuss these four questions at our Provincial Council on January 29 and 30. Unfortunately, we were unable to consider your request and it has been referred to our research and policy team for comprehensive discussion.

I am answering to the extent possible without that review being complete. I have also elected not to answer with a simple Yes or No as requested because I believe the issues are too complex for such an approach. I am answering the questions in reverse because that seems the more logical order.

4. Will you engage in an arts community driven consultation to create a cultural development and arts funding policy for BC?

Yes. This seems to be the best starting place to ensure we get to a common understanding of the value that arts and culture play in BC society and communities and from there determine a strategy for development of arts and culture in BC and a funding policy that is sufficient to achieve the goals that are identified.

3. Will you take measurable steps during their first mandate to raise BC’s per capita funding of the arts to at least the national average?

Yes. I expect this would be part of the plan developed out of the process identified in 4 above. At a minimum, BC should ensure per capita funding for the arts at the national average.

2. Will you honour the 1999 agreement to allocate 33.3 percent of gaming revenues to non-profits, or agree to re-negotiate that agreement in good faith?

A qualified yes to the first part of the question and an unqualified yes to the second. In principle, we support the agreement to allocate 33.3 percent of gambling revenues to the arts, charities and non-profits. However, the provincial government has become reliant on the gambling money that has been clawed back and which it now puts into general revenue. Therefore, adequate funding for the arts from gambling revenue would have to be looked at within the context of budgetary realities. In addition, the Green Party of BC believes we must wean ourselves off gambling revenue. Once successful at doing so, arts funding would decrease and the problem of inadequate funding would continue. In terms of re-negotiating the agreement, the re-negotiation should be done in good faith and it should result in predictable, long term funding for the arts and non-profits.

1. Will you restore arts funding to the 2008/09 levels?

While I would like to commit to this, the Green Party of BC is not yet represented in the legislature. Only the answer from the party in power is relevant. If the other three questions are satisfactorily addressed, this one would become moot.

Sincerely,

Jane Sterk, Leader
Green Party of BC

FROM WAYNE MCGRATH, PRESIDENT, BC CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Hello Tom,

I must apologize for not responding to your earlier emails.

As you may be aware, the BC Conservative Party will be holding a Leadership Convention on May 28 in Surrey.  Nominations for Leader will be received from March 1 until March 29.  Further, our Policy document is currently under review and will be adopted by our membership at a Special General Meeting probably to be held in conjunction with the May 28 Convention.

Therefore, it would not be appropriate for the Party to respond at this time.  During the Leadership race, all of our candidates would be able to respond with their views.

Thank you for giving us this opportunity to respond to your questions.

Wayne McGrath, President

BC Conservative Party

FROM JOHN HORGAN, NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR JUAN DE FUCA

We met with John Horgan on February 10th and discussed the arts funding and the Alliance questions. This is our report:

1. Mr. Horgan agrees with question number one that arts funding should be restored, as a start, to 2008-2009 levels. He sat on the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and heard the many presentations from arts groups around the province.

2. He firmly believes that the 1999 agreement should be renegotiated. This especially in light of the fact that revenues from gambling have increased substantially since 1999.

3. Regarding BC’s standing with per capita funding for arts and culture at the very bottom, he believes that BC should rank according to its population in relation to other provinces. That would put it at about third, just below Ontario and Quebec.

4. John Horgan is a strong believer in arms length funding through the BC Arts Council. He also would engage with the arts community to develop a culture policy for the province. He wants the arts community to know that they would have an ally in his leadership.

FROM ADRIAN DIX, NDP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE AND MLA FOR VANCOUVER-KINGSWAY

1. Follow the unanimous recommendation of the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services’ to immediately return “to overall actual funding levels of 2008/09 to encourage an independent and creative cultural sector” and restore previous eligibility and access criteria?

Answer:   Yes. This would be a good interim measure. The government’s cutbacks damaged BC arts organizations in every part of BC. This hurt in particular artistic expression and diversity, particularly in rural and remote communities.

The BC Liberal government cut arts and culture funding at a time when they cut taxes for the banks. Given that arts funding creates jobs and is critical for community building, this is counter-productive. Ironically, since this action was taken, there has been a net loss of jobs in the banking sector, while arts organizations have paid the price. It is time to give the independent and creative cultural sector the priority it deserves.

2. Honour the provincial government’s 1999 Memorandum of Agreement with the BC Association for Charitable Gaming to allocate 33.3 percent of net gaming revenues to charities and non-profits, or renegotiate that agreement in good faith?

Answer: I supported the 1999 Memorandum of Agreement and believe it serves as a good model.

I have met with arts organizations and many other groups to discuss this issue in the past few weeks. For example, Theatre North West representatives recently described to me the direct impact of funding cuts and instability on their organization, based in Prince George. While in Prince George, I put the pressure on the BC Liberals to cuts in gaming grants instituted since 2008.

Given the very significant changes that have occurred with gaming policy, the overall provincial budget and other policies related to the non-profit sector, I believe that negotiating a new memorandum of agreement would be the best approach. We should sit down together and develop an agreement that works for everyone. This would include three-year funding agreements for organizations that ensure stability .

Charities and non-profit organizations have been let down by this government. Working together, we can do better.

3. Take meaningful and measurable steps, in your first mandate, towards raising BC’s per-capita funding of the arts, cultural and heritage sector to at least the national average?

Answer: Yes, I recognize the importance of the arts and cultural sectors in our communities and in our economy. We should move per-c apita funding to the national average in the first term of an NDP government.

4. Engage in an arts community driven consultative process with the goal of developing a coherent and sustainable cultural development and arts funding policy for the province of British Columbia?

Answer: Yes. I appreciate the need for stability and predictability after this period of policy uncertainty and financial cutbacks. BC needs a long term strategy for arts and culture that is based on the fact that we all gain from strong and growing cultural communities and industries .