Lots of fallout today from my file yesterday. A reminder, in case you missed it:
Tourism Minister Diane Ablonczy has been stripped of responsibility for administering a major tourism funding program after she signed off on a grant for Toronto's gay pride week.
Ablonczy, who retains her title as minister of state for small business and tourism, was in charge of the Marquee Tourism Events Program, an initiative to provide $100 million of funding over two years to the country's major festivals and tourist attractions like the Calgary Stampede, the Stratford (Ont.) Festival and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, each of which received at least $2 million in federal support.
But within days of her June 15 announcement that Toronto's Pride Week would get a $400,000 grant, Ablonczy lost control of the file to the senior minister in her department, Industry Minister Tony Clement.
…
Conservative MP Brad Trost said Ablonczy was removed from the file because of her decision to fund Pride Week, which its organizers say, is to “celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, two-spirited” communities.
Trost was critical of Ablonczy for making that decision.
“The pro-life and the pro-family community should know and understand that the tourism funding money that went to the gay pride parade in Toronto was not government policy,” Trost said in article published Tuesday at LifeSiteNews.com. “Canadian taxpayers, even non-social conservative ones, don't want their tax dollars to go to events that are polarizing, or events that are more political than touristic in nature.”
The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix was among several papers which ran this story today but SP reporter Jeremy Warren made it better with this little twist:
But in his criticism of his colleague, [Trost] did not mention his government funds Saskatoon's Pride parade. The Saskatoon Diversity Network received $9,000 from Canadian Heritage this year for last June's Pride Festival.
Now, a little birdie helpfully provides the following list of gay and lesbian (and bisexual, etc.) events funded by the Harper government:
- Recipient: Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives
Minister: Hon. James Moore
Funding received – $175,000.00
Purpose: Arts in Communities
Date: 2009-03-26 - Recipient: Vancouver Out on Screen Film and Video Society, Vancouver, British Colombia
Minister: Hon. Josée Verner
Funding received: $32,000.00
Purpose: Project: 20th Anniversary Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Programming
Date: 2008-2009, March 4, 2008 - Recipient: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender Pride Toronto
Funding received: $21,000.00
Date: ** Last modified, 2008-02-19 - Recipient: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Transgenderal Pride Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Minister: Hon. Josée Verner
Funding received: $35,000.00
Purpose: Arts in Community
Date: 2007-04-23 - Recipient: Inside Out Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Inc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Funding received: $20,000.00
Purpose: Project: Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival, Programming
Date: 2008-2009 - Recipient: Winnipeg Gay & Lesbian Film Society Inc, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Funding received: 4,000.00
Purpose: Project: Reel Pride Film Festival, Programming
Date: 2008-2009 - Recipient: Reelout Arts Project Inc., Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Funding received: $7,000.00
Purpose: Project: Reelout Queer Film & Video Festival, Programming
Date: 2008-2009 - Recipient: Queer City Cinema Inc, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Funding received: $13,000.00
Purpose: Project: Queer City Cinema 7, Programming
Date: 2008-2009 - Recipient: Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Inc.Funding received – $26,000.00
Date: 2008-2009 Last modified, 2008-02-19 - Recipient: Darren McAllister, Ontario Canada,
Minister: Hon. Peter MacKayFunding received – $550.00
Purpose: To allow Darren McAllister to present his short film “Confessions of a Drag Queen” at the Outfest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Los Angeles, California from July 6 to 17, 2006.
Date: 2006- 2007 - Recipient : Michael Mew, British Columbia, Canada,
Minister: Hon. Peter MacKayFunding received – $900
Purpose: To allow Michael Mew to present his short film “Peking Turkey” at the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in London, United Kingdom from March 28 to April 6, 2007.
Date:2006-2007
As a reporter, I have no official opinion, of course, as to whether it was a good idea or a bad idea to provide funding for these organizations and individuals. It is surprising, however, that we are only now hearing from Trost that the Conservative caucus objects to public funds being used for these kinds of “polarizing” purposes.
Finally, I can report that the Prime Minister's Office recognized early on this issue was going to be controversial and so, less than two weeks after Ablonczy was photograhed next to – gasp! – transvestites in Toronto handing over a government cheque, MPs were issued their marching orders on the subject. Presumably, some constituents were confronting Conservative MPs angry that money went to fund an event , as LifeSiteNews.com put it “which is notorious for its inclusion of full frontal nudity and public sex acts by homosexuals”. Other constituents might be supportive of Ablonczy and angry that a minister was disciplined for funding a perfectly legitimate organization which happens to celebrate the worth and dignity of gay people. Whatever: MPs were told on June 26 told to shut up and call Tony!
From: Alerte-Info-Alert <Alerte-Info-Alert@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>
To: Alerte-Info-Alert <Alerte-Info-Alert@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>
Sent: Fri Jun 26 15:18:41 2009
Subject: Marquee Tourism Events Program / Programme des manifestations touristiques de renom
Recently many MPs have received an increasing number of constituent communications related to the Marquee Tourism Events Program.
The program is now directly the responsibility of Industry Minister Tony Clement. He will be conducting a review of the entire program to ensure that the funding is providing genuine stimulus to the economy.
The Minister's office and the PMO are working together to support Caucus members and help them respond to constituents.
For further information, please contact Regional Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office:
i hope that you reporting on this doesn't get these funds cut. this issue is getting a little out of control — heres hoping that voters take notice.
How about the latest interview with Trost in the Star-Phoenix. http://www.thestarphoenix.com/travel/Trost+stands+statement/1777890/story.html
“”My preference has always been for events that bring the community together to be central in any of our funding programs,” Trost said Thursday.”
“”My goal is not to criticize Diane, and that's what people are trying to make the story of,” he said. “Diane has done a good job as a minister and I didn't want to continue to add to the whole concept of criticizing Diane that was being implied.””
“”I haven't actually looked through the whole entire list, but it may be that this one is the unique one,” he said. “I've seen about a partial list of what was funded through this program, but not a complete list.””
“After the interview was over, Trost accused the StarPhoenix reporter of “ambushing” him with questions about the issue and pressed the stop button on her voice recorder.”
The last one seems to be the most serious. What right did Trost have to attempt to stop the recording?