An interesting week

This week has been an interesting one, from the world of Canadian politics to the spectre of the Net Neutrality debate once again raising its head, there has been a lot that I’ve meant to mention this week.

Unfortunately, between work and the Keystone Theatre workshop, I haven’t had a moment to blog about these things.

Sparked by announcements from the Tory finance minister, the Opposition parties threatened to bring down Stephen Harper’s government in a non-confidence vote, and propose rule via a Coalition government.  Harper’s people immediately began a smear campaign regarding the whole thing, suggesting that the Coalition would not have legitimacy, since they weren’t voted into office, and that since the coalition included the Bloc, that it was tantamount to treason.  Eventually, Harper went to the Governor General, and asked her to Prorogue parliament.  This means that she would end the session.  She agreed, and the Tories got their protection from a non-confidence vote.

This of course is the second time that Harper has avoided a non-confidence vote in parliament.  The first is what sparked our last election.  He doesn’t want to test the confidence of parliament, because he knows he doesn’t have it.  Normally, this means that he doesn’t have a mandate to govern.  If there are enough votes against the party to state that the House of Commons doesn’t have confidence in the government…that government is dissolved.  That’s the way it works.  Its part of the constitution.

So, when Harper suggests that the Opposition parties were not voted into office, and lack a mandate, he’s lying.  He’s the one who lacks a mandate.  His is the party in the minority in the house.  Yes, the Tories hold the most seats, but the opposition parties outnumber them.  That’s what a minority government is.  A government in a minority needs to have the confidence of the house, or they lose their mandate to govern.  Harper needs a refresher course in how the Parliamentary system works.

In other news, Michael Geist noted that Friday Dec. 5 was the deadline for written submissions to the CRTC’s New Media hearings.  And I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in a couple of organizations.  Geist points out that ACTRA (the Candian film and tv actor’s union) is leading the call for a levy placed on ISP subscribers to “fund the creation of Canadian new media”.  They also call for CANCON rules new media and wants the CRTC to licence new media undertaking, and think that user generated content should be regulated under the Broadcasting Act.

ACTRA is so completely wrong-headed on the issue of new media, that one wonders who is advising them.  I’m not quite sure why they are trying to hinder New Media this way.  I look at some of the success stories on the internet, from The Guild, to Dr. Horrible, to Ask a Ninja, to that guy singing a song on his webcam on youtube, are only possible with no licences.  These things would not have been possible if those making them were required to be licenced and comply with the broadcast act. 

ACTRA should revise this policy and come up with something that can encourage and assist their members in the creation of their own New Media, and help these members to use these creations to market themselves.  And perhaps even make some money from them.

But ACTRA seems to be playing the role of the dinosaur here, rather than looking to the future.

Its quite sad.

Keystone Theatre Fundraiser

This morning I posted the Facebook event for the November 13th fundraiser for Keystone Theatre at the Bloor Cinema.  Yesterday, finally online payment for the event on the website (via paypal, which has its downside…but we do want to make it as easy as possible for people to buy tickets).

I’m really very excited by the people we have performing at this fundraiser.  People like the Rumoli Brothers, Chris Mysterion, and Brent Carver, to name just three.  We’ll also have a couple of examples scenes from the show we’re developing in the silent film style, in addition to showing two films: Buster Keaton’s “Cops” and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Tramp”, but instead of relying on pre-recorded music, we’re going to have live accompaniment to the films, just like they would have had when they were originally shown in theatres.

I hope that Toronto people will be able to come, not only to support this show that I’ve been involved in for about 2 years, but also to have a great time at this event.

Also, feel free to become a fan of Keystone Theatre on Facebook (if you do that kind of thing), or simply by checking the website for updates on a regular basis.

A Dear Harper Letter

Craftygrrrl pointed me to a post at yarnharlot.ca, where the author provides a well thought and well-composed letter to Harper about this whole arts funding thing.

I suggest you take a look.

I’d write my own…but the truth is, I get too caught up in how angry and insulted I am by the comments made by our Prime Minister to really be able to form a really coherent rebuttal.  Thus the linkage to YH.

Theatre of the Obsessed

Early in the summer, I was approached by D.J. Sylvis to act in a collection of short plays called Theatre of the Obsessed.  Unfortunately, due to obligations to Keystone Theatre, I was unable to actually do the show, no matter how keen I was to be a part of it.  Sadly, I had to withdraw.

However, I wanted everyone to take note of the performance dates for this show: September 24-27th at the Centre for the Arts, 263 Adelaide Street West, Toronto.  The plays by Mr. Sylvis are pretty Geektastic, and I highly recommend them to anyone who has an interest in Science Fiction, werewolves, or giant monkeys (seriously).

Censorship through funding cuts.

Hey! Did you hear that Stephen Harper’s Tories have cut another arts program?

Its true!

Recently the entire PromArt prgram was axed.  PromArt was a program via Foreign Affairs that enabled Canadian Artists to travel abroad and give them a world showcase.  Some examples might be a band nearing their breakout point travelling in the UK, or a dance troupe like Les Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montréal being able to travel abroad.

But not any more.

"Certainly we felt some of the groups were not necessarily ones we thought Canadians would agree were the best choices to be representing them internationally," said Anne Howland, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson.

Pressed for an example of those who failed to meet such a requirement, Howland cited a Toronto-based experimental rock band.

"I don’t even want to say [their name] on the phone," she said. "Holy F, that was one that was flagged."

She’s talking about internationally acclaimed Toronto band, Holy Fuck, a band pretty much recognized as one of the best Canadian indie products in a long while.  Sadly, Howland is using them as a scapegoat here.  Holy Fuck is not the reason they are cancelling the program.  They’re giving reasons that some people who received money were partisan or political, or didn’t reside in Canada.  But that’s not a reason to cancel the program.  Clearly the people who received the money, qualified to apply for the program (because its not like you can get this kind of funding without going through a pretty rigorous application process).  That doesn’t mean that you cancel the program.  You take a look at your qualifying criteria.

But the Harper Government doesn’t do that.  And this isn’t about money.  This is the same tactic that was used to justify the tax credit changes under Bill C-10: its censorship of things that Harper and his cronies don’t like.

I notice that conservative paper the National Post has weighed in on the issue with an opinion piece.  Its a highly partisan justification of the decision to axe the program.  They cover in some detail the “abuses” of the program: people that they feel shouldn’t have gotten money (again…they clearly qualified for the program, so its the qualifications that are the problem not the program itself).  But here’s the thing that really pisses me off in the article:

If Canadian artists produce world-class art, then it will be noticed on the world stage — with or without government assistance.

Written as someone who’s never been an artist.  To get noticed on the “world stage” with “world class art” one needs to take your art onto the “world stage”.  I don’t know any artists that can do that without funding.  Its not possible.  No matter how good the art is.  If you can’t get it in front of an audience…its not art.

Here’s hoping our opposition parties finally find their balls and bring down this government in the fall.