9°c A few clouds
19°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Prorogue pushed out arts lobby effort
It seemed anyone who was upset about the fact Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament in December was mad mainly because it sets a bad precedent that a government about to be evicted from its sandbox, simply takes all the toys and goes home to prevent that from happening.
But I found out today that when the House was prorogued, a lot of other work simply got cancelled.
Emmy Alcorn, the Artistic Director of Mulgrave Road Theatre in Guysborough, NS, said the day after the house was prorogued, arts leaders from across the country were set to blitz the nation’s capital in an effort to get out the word to ensure the arts don’t get the short end of the budget stick.
There were meetings set up with over 70 different MPs from every party.
And they all got kiboshed.
It’s not the only chance the arts groups have to meet with MPs and Alcorn is meeting with the MP in her region directly still.
But still, I can’t imagine the disappointment and dejection of the people who spent countless hours setting up those meetings, arranging travel, determining agendas and coordinating the lobbying effort, for it all to come for naught.
Just another reason why I wish everybody would think twice before deciding that partisanship and politics should take precedence over governing. And just for the record, that applies to every party in the House of Commons.
More Capital Chronicles
- Back to Top
- Return to Capital Chronicles
More Capital Chronicles
(1 of 3 articles for this month)
Rare win for voter turnout, big fail for political spin
05/14/2013 10:25 AM 0The spin doctors are working hard today to disect the byelection results in Labrador yesterday.
Former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Penashue ......
About Mia Rabson
Mia Rabson is a born and bred Winnipegger whose interest in politics seemed clear when she dressed up as Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for Halloween in the 7th grade.
Her interest in writing was no surprise to her parents, who learned early in Mia’s life that no piece of blank paper — or wall, for that matter — was safe in her hands.
She holds an honours BA in English from Queen’s University, a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario, and has completed a political journalism fellowship in Washington, D.C. with the Washington Centre for Politics and Journalism.
Prior to working for the Winnipeg Free Press, Mia briefly worked for the Detroit News in the paper’s Washington bureau.
Mia joined the Free Press team in February 2001, and in April 2001 was appointed to the Manitoba legislature bureau. In December 2004, she was appointed bureau chief at the legislature. She became the newspaper’s parliamentary bureau chief/national reporter in Ottawa in January 2008.
In 2008 she was nominated for a Michener Award with a team of reporters from the Free Press for its coverage of the province’s child welfare system.
She counts reliving the invasion at Dieppe, France, with veterans of the failed Second World War expedition and overcoming her fear of heights to touch the Golden Boy statue atop the Legislative Building among her favourite experiences as a reporter.
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.