Denise Savoie

SAVOIE TO ODA: DISTRIBUTE SUMMER FESTIVAL FUNDS BASED ON MERIT, NOT POLITICS

New $30 million fund needs clear criteria and timelines, says Victoria’s MP

VICTORIA – Denise Savoie, NDP MP for Victoria, today called on Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda to ensure that the new $30 million Summer Festival fund is distributed based on non-partisan, merit-based criteria.

With three local festivals recently announcing plans to postpone or cancel their events, Savoie said she’s particularly concerned that Victoria area arts, heritage and multicultural groups are able to access any new federal funding that becomes available.

But Oda recently sent letters soliciting input on how to spend the new Summer Festival Fund only to members of her own Conservative caucus. After the NDP criticized her, she sent similar letters to all MPs. On May 10, she sent out a further e-mail reminder to MPs, asking them to send suggestions to her by June 8.

“It’s inappropriate for Minister Oda to play games with this money,” Savoie said. “She shouldn’t be encouraging Members of Parliament to break the rules of accountability by asking them to contact her personally with ideas for how to use these public funds.”

With this in mind, Savoie contacted local groups to encourage them to express their interest in this funding by writing to Canadian Heritage Directly. Savoie also wrote to Oda to express her concerns.

“The Minister has put all MPs in an awkward position with her letters asking that we send suggestions directly to her. Of course I want local arts groups to be able to access all possible funding sources, but I also have serious qualms about the way this program has been announced. The Minister’s actions create at least the impression of political interference in the granting process.”

Savoie, along with NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) has called for the Minister to step aside and allow departmental officials to establish clear guidelines for this program. This would allow organizations to apply for the funding and be judged on their own merits, rather than be chosen through partisan interference by Oda or any other Member of Parliament.

“Summer festivals play a vital role not just in celebrating the culture of our nation but also as powerful economic engines. This is certainly true of our many remaining local festivals, as well as the ones that have unfortunately had to shut down,” Savoie said.