Monday
Sep292008
Harper's Backwards Proposal: Critique of the Proposed Children's Arts Tax Credit
Monday, September 29, 2008
Once again, Stephen Harper confirmed today why I don't vote for him. It seems he was trying to dig out of a hole, but really he just dug himself deeper as far as I'm concerned.
Let's go back to last week. When explaining his government's cuts to arts and culture funding, Harper claimed it was a niche issue and said:
Here's the thing. Arts is not a niche issue in Canada. In fact, as reported in an eloquent editorial by Margaret Atwood in the Globe and Mail, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that the cultural sector generated $46 billion, or 3.8 percent of Canada's GDP in 2007. It also accounts for around 600,000 jobs, which is the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas, and utilities combined. And despite what Harper may think, there are very few rich artists in Canada and the ones that are rich, don't get grants. Young people need grants to help jump start their artistic career. They need those funds to help publish their first book. Launch their first album. Attend cultural events to promote their creative works.
Yes, young people need these grants, but with his latest announcement, Harper aimed a bit too young and much too prescriptive.
Today, Harper announced a New Children's Arts Tax Credit. He explained that "a re-elected Conservative Government will create a new tax credit on up to $500 of eligible fees for children under 16 who participate in eligible arts or cultural activities such as music lessons, drama, or art classes." This is a follow-on to the 2006 campaign promise that the Harper government fulfilled to create a Children's Fitness Tax Credit, which offers parents a tax credit of up to $500 on eligible physical fitness programs for their kids.
I think it is great that the Conservatives want to support children's participation in sports and arts, but I see Stephen Harper's rigid and stiff personality reflected in his policy. The healthiest way for children to be active and creative is through free play and family activities. There is evidence that overscheduling our kids and putting them in more and more activities is making them stressed out and disconnected from their families. However, Harper doesn't support free play and family activities. The credit does not apply to "self-directed (unsupervised) activities". It only applies to supervised scheduled programs.
No, Mr. Harper, I don't want a tax credit to help me sign my kids up for more structured activities that will stifle their creativity and take away from family time. Instead, here is what I would like:
Shipping little Johnny or little Jane off to yet another lesson or yet another team is not doing much to improve the creativity or fitness level of our kids. It will make them less connected to their families, less connected to nature, and less connected with their creative process. Beware! It will turn them into Stephen Harper.
Let's go back to last week. When explaining his government's cuts to arts and culture funding, Harper claimed it was a niche issue and said:
I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people, you know, at a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren't high enough when they know those subsidies have actually gone up, I'm not sure that's something that resonates with ordinary people.
Here's the thing. Arts is not a niche issue in Canada. In fact, as reported in an eloquent editorial by Margaret Atwood in the Globe and Mail, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that the cultural sector generated $46 billion, or 3.8 percent of Canada's GDP in 2007. It also accounts for around 600,000 jobs, which is the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas, and utilities combined. And despite what Harper may think, there are very few rich artists in Canada and the ones that are rich, don't get grants. Young people need grants to help jump start their artistic career. They need those funds to help publish their first book. Launch their first album. Attend cultural events to promote their creative works.
Yes, young people need these grants, but with his latest announcement, Harper aimed a bit too young and much too prescriptive.
Today, Harper announced a New Children's Arts Tax Credit. He explained that "a re-elected Conservative Government will create a new tax credit on up to $500 of eligible fees for children under 16 who participate in eligible arts or cultural activities such as music lessons, drama, or art classes." This is a follow-on to the 2006 campaign promise that the Harper government fulfilled to create a Children's Fitness Tax Credit, which offers parents a tax credit of up to $500 on eligible physical fitness programs for their kids.
I think it is great that the Conservatives want to support children's participation in sports and arts, but I see Stephen Harper's rigid and stiff personality reflected in his policy. The healthiest way for children to be active and creative is through free play and family activities. There is evidence that overscheduling our kids and putting them in more and more activities is making them stressed out and disconnected from their families. However, Harper doesn't support free play and family activities. The credit does not apply to "self-directed (unsupervised) activities". It only applies to supervised scheduled programs.
No, Mr. Harper, I don't want a tax credit to help me sign my kids up for more structured activities that will stifle their creativity and take away from family time. Instead, here is what I would like:
- Support self-directed activities: Why will the government give me a tax credit for enrolling my son in a basketball league or piano lessons, but not give me a credit for purchasing a bicycle for family bike rides or buying a piano so that I can teach my kids to play the piano myself? What if I want to purchase an easel and paints for my daughter rather than sending her to pottery classes? What if I want to buy a kayak for my kids so that they can take advantage of the beauty of our outdoor environment, rather than signing them up for Sunday swimming lessons at the Y.
- Support a more flexible work week for parents: The government could support labour policies that will allow parents to work a more flexible and shorter work week, so that they can pick their kids up from school and spend time with them rather than shipping them off to karate, violin, hockey and drama class.
- Give financial support to artists and athletes when it matters: Canadian artists on the verge of starting a career and Canadian athletes that have a chance of representing our country on the world stage are the ones that really need funding. If they are to launch their careers or bring home the medals, they need money to fund their training and market their arts. If these people achieve success, they will act as role models for our children and give them the motivation to get off the couch and be active and creative. A tax credit for mom and dad will not give them that motivation.
Shipping little Johnny or little Jane off to yet another lesson or yet another team is not doing much to improve the creativity or fitness level of our kids. It will make them less connected to their families, less connected to nature, and less connected with their creative process. Beware! It will turn them into Stephen Harper.
Reader Comments (4)
[...] participate in eligible arts or cultural activities, such as music lessons, drama or arts classes (see my critique of the proposed Children’s Arts Tax Credit) and make the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit [...]
A big "HECK YES" to everything in this post.
Also...do you know where one might find info on applying for art grants in Canada?
[...] Harper’s Backwards Proposal: Critique of the Proposed Children’s Arts Tax Credit [...]
[...] Establish a Children’s Arts Tax Credit to cover up to $500 per child in qualifying expenses for eligible arts or cultural activities (I’ve written about this proposal previously). [...]