Election 2015: Where We Stand With a Liberal Majority

Now that we know which party will be forming our next federal government, here’s a reminder of the Liberal Party's platform promises in relation to arts, culture, and heritage: 

• Investment of $150 million in new annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada;
• Double the investment to the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million per year from $180 million;
• Increase funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, with a new investment totalling $25 million per year;
• Restore the Promart and Trade Routes international cultural promotion programs and increase funding to $25 million per year;
• Increase funding for the Young Canada Works program as part of a renewed Youth Employment Strategy;
• Investment in social infrastructure of nearly $6 billion over the next four years and almost $20 billion over ten years, investing significantly more in cultural infrastructure.

Click here to read the full platform released by the Liberal Party on September 22.  To review additional comments pertaining to our sector, click here for the completed Alliance Political Survey submitted by the Liberals.

It’s worth noting that the Liberals’ promises for culture respond directly to the arts community’s advocacy through the Canadian Arts Coalition and its member networks, including the Alliance. For the past several years, specific requests were presented to all parties at Arts Day on the Hill events and in federal budget consultations, and it’s clear that the Liberals were listening. In his role as Heritage critic, Stéphane Dion visited BC on multiple occasions to hear directly from our community and shape the party's platform. 

Now that the Liberals will form a majority government, we will expect them to deliver on their promises. We look forward to seeing renewed investment along with full recognition of the role of the arts in Canada.  

We thank the Canadian Arts Coalition for their hard work on the #artsvote campaign and all of those who voted with the arts in mind. The work is not over. It is up to all of us to continue promoting the many benefits that a thriving cultural sector brings to Canadians as individuals and as a society.