Niagara federal candidates art-rated

(St. Catharines ON) Niagara-area candidates in the upcoming Canadian federal election have received rather mixed reviews for their understanding and support of arts, culture, and heritage.

 

The assessments were made in an report card published Tuesday by cultural entity with no declared political affiliation, called "ArtsVote Niagara."

 

Not surprisingly, Conservative Party candidates showed the worst performance. The highest rating among the conservatives was a "C," or "unfamiliar" with arts matters and/or giving arts a low priority. Only two of the four Conservative Party candidates even ventured to respond to the survey used to determine their arts awareness and support.

 

Liberal Party candidates scored highest, with three of four candidates rating an "A," for "outstanding" advocacy and endorsement of the value of the arts in the region.

 

The NDP and Green parties scored a close second and third, respectively, in terms of arts support expressed by candidates across the four federal ridings surveyed in Niagara.

 

The survey was conducted by ArtsVote Niagara, a "non-partisan network of volunteers." The report card is intended to encourage the regional arts community and supporters of the arts to vote, and to compare candidates on the basis of their attitudes and performance on issues of importance to arts and culture.

 

The "ArtsVote Niagara Report Card 2008" is available for viewing on-line at http://www.artsvoteniagara.ca/downloads/ArtsVote-Niagara_2008-Federal_Report-Card.pdf

 

Source : www.artsvoteniagara.ca