2008 FEDERAL ELECTIONS
ACTION >
SHINE A LIGHT ON CULTURE
IMAA National Day of Action
October 9th, 2008
The Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) is inviting all its member organizations, its partners as well as all "ordinary Canadians" from coast to coast to coast to join in a National Day of Action in support of the arts and culture in Canada. This initiative is about sending a nation-wide message right before the last weekend of the campaign reminding voters that culture is inextricably woven into our daily lives. This initiative is about building up to critical mass of small gestures in order to state loud and clear that being Canadian is not only about occupying a geographical location but also, mostly, about having a distinct and diverse identity built through decades of personal expression and creativity.
If you enjoyed reading a book, seeing a film, going to a play, visiting a museum, listening to a band, watching a dance performance or participating in any other type of artistic activities in the past, chances are that you will want to be entertained and inspired again in the future. Please do not take our vibrant cultural landscape for granted. If you haven't had the time to express your support for this important aspect of your everyday life, mark down October 9th as the moment to do it.
ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 9TH YOU ARE INVITED TO FORWARD THE "VOTE ARTS" POSTCARDS (below) TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, LOCAL CANDIDATES AND JOURNALISTS.
(Thanks to Nick Rudnicki of Blee-ree-eyed studios for the e-card graphic design inspiration)
Dowload postcard here:
GIF (best quality)
JPEG
IMAA ELECTION TOOLKIT
+ Template invitation letter to be send to candidates in riding
+ Questions to be send to candidates in riding (to be send with invitation letter preferably)
+ Arts & Culture Now
Why supporting the arts and culture in Canada is the smartest decision you can make.
Facts at a glance
TELEVISED LEADERS DEBATE
MAKE A SIMPLE, FAST AND EFFICIENT ACTION and click HERE now!
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION VIA EMAIL, FOR THE FEDERAL LEADERS DEBATE, scheduled on October 2nd at 9:00, EDT on CBC network.
Very simple!
If you had only one action to take, it should be this one:
Follow the link above, your email client will automatically open-up, the question to be sent will already be in the body of text as well as the recipient email address (CBC team in charge of the Federal Leaders Debate), so the only thing you have to do is to press SEND!!
If you have other questions or that your email software does'nt open up properly, please send your questions at this address:
I VOTE FOR CULTURE
www.culturepourtous.ca/journeesdelaculture/jevotepourlaculture/default_en.asp
If you lack inspiration, here is a suggestion of what you could write:
" Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts? - Gabrielle Roy "
DISCUSSION >
IMAA ONLINE FORUM
+ Link to discussion threads
INFORMATION >
IMAA ONLINE FORUM
+ Link to news on culture and election campaign
Elections Canada
THE CANDIDATES
Find candidates in your riding:
www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=e
Find detailed contact information on candidates in you riding:
Bloc Québécois Candidates (French only)
Conservative Candidates
Liberal Candidates
Green Candidates
NDP Candidates
THE POLITICAL PARTIES
+ Bloc Québécois
www.presentpourlequebec.org
+ Conservative Party of Canada
www.conservative.ca
+ Green Party of Canada
www.greenparty.ca
- Increase funding to all of Canada’s Arts and Culture organizations including The Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, orchestras, theatres and publishers. The goal will be to make increases in this sector commensurate with increases in support over the years for other sectors of the economy such as transport, the auto industry, health care, and the oil and gas industry.
- Provide stable base-funding for the CBC so it can continue to provide quality Canadian content television and radio programming in both official languages to all Canadians.
- Ensure that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reserves more bandwidth for independent and non-profit stations.
+ Liberal Party of Canada
www.liberal.ca
- A Liberal government will reverse recent cuts to arts and cultural programs
- A Liberal government will increase the Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit to 30 percent
- A Liberal government will double the annual funding to the Canada Council for the Arts
- A Liberal government will provide income-averaging for artists, an important
tool for helping this country’s writers, artists and musicians continue to excel
www.ndp.ca
- Restore arts funding arbitrarily cut by the Harper Conservatives. Increase public funding for the Canada Council for the Arts to better support artists and ensure we can produce high quality made-in-Canada shows for everyday Canadians to enjoy.
- Invest in a pan-Canadian broadband strategy to bring high-speed internet to more communities in Canada.
- Implement a system of tax averaging to provide fair and equitable treatment for Canadian artists and cultural workers.
+ Important Postal Addresses:
The Honorable Josée Verner
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and Minister for la Francophonie
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
The Honorable David Emerson
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
NOTE: When a letter or package is sent within Canada to any Minister or Federal Representatives, no stamps are required.
+ Email addresses:
Canadian Heitage Minister:
Josée Verner: et
Jim Abbott (Secretary): et
Canadian Heritage Critics:
Denis Coderre (Liberal Party of Canada): et
Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc Québécois): et
Bill Siksay (New Democratic Party):
Minister of Foreign Affairs:
David Emerson :
Helena Guergis (Parliamentary Secretary Foreign Affairs):Guergis.H@parl.gc.ca et
Deepak Obhrai (Parliamentary Secretary): et
Former Foreign Affairs Critics:
Bob Rae (Liberal Party of Canada): et
Paul Crête (Bloc Québécois): et
Paul Dewar (New Democratic Party): et
USEFUL LINKS
Canadian Art Coalition
http://www.canadianartscoalition.ca/en/takeaction/write.cfm
Canadian Artists' Representation - CARFAC
http://www.carfac.ca/election-toolkit/lang-pref/en/
CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/votertoolkit/
Canadian Conference for the arts - CCA
http://www.ccarts.ca/en/election2008/election2008.htm
Culture Montréal
http://www.culturemontreal.ca/dossiers/elections_federales08ENG.htm
Director's Guild of Canada -DGC
http://www.dgc.ca/page.php?id=571
Canadian Museum Association - CMA
http://25538.vws.magma.ca/en/info_resources/current_issues/election_toolkit/index.php
Department Of Culture
http://departmentofculture.ca/
Documentary Organization of Canada - DOC
http://www.docorg.ca/DOC_2008_Election_Primer_FINAL.doc