A Good Step...

...in the right direction, but nowhere near far enough:

Downsized, decentralized CBC remains key goal for Tories: Heritage Minister James Moore

"And while insisting the CBC is a crucial instrument for national unity and the promotion of artistic talent in Canada, Moore has pointedly allowed the broadcaster to be brow-beaten by his Conservative colleagues in recent months..."

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"...the Conservative government has enjoyed “strong positive feedback . . . whenever we’ve engaged in a history initiative.”

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There is, he said, “a real silent, vast majority of Canadians out there who want to see this country talk about our history, so that young people especially can better understand our history and that we can feel more united as a country.”

But while the government plans to invest in some aspects of its heritage mandate, Moore made clear that other cultural organizations will feel the pinch — and worse — as funding dries up in certain areas.

Moore underlined the fact organizations matching government support with significant private funding will insulate themselves best from cuts and prosper most during the Conservative era."

I'm, frankly, surprised that such a vision is coming from Moore. I agree with the history bit. But, I think Canadians need to have a country-wide very open debate about why we need publicly funded arts in the first place, and whether or not the arts in general is the place to develop and showcase our identity or even whether we really need to bolster our identity in some way.

It seems to me that better knowledge of our history will automatically create a sounder, more accurate identity and any arts organization that doesn't get this should be weaned from the public teat. Something is up in Ottawa, but Moore seems to be going only a small portion of the way.

If you had asked me, I'd have said the first step you can take is canning the CBC altogether, but hosting a country-wide open debate about the need for publicly funded arts and especially, the need for a publicly funded broadcaster, would be just as good.  In other words, let's find out if Canadians actually agree with you that "the CBC is a crucial instrument" and that "national unity and the promotion of artistic talent in Canada" is high up on our list of priorities. 

If it isn't, then let the private sector fund the arts.  But it seems this is the way you are headed, anyway.

If so, then more please, Mr. Moore.