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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 1, 2008 - 5 Culture activists turn down Young's invitation By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Pre-Owned. Conservative candidate Terence Young said a group of arts activists working under the banner Department of Culture that have refused to meet with him are "missing the mark." During a Conservative rally on Sept. 16 in north Oakville, members of the Department of Culture gathered outside to demonstrate against what they consider to be unfair cuts to arts and culture by Stephen Harper's government. Young said he was unaware of the protest at the time, telling The Oakville Beaver he was interested in sitting down with members of the group. The Department of Culture responded to his request by releasing a statement to the media stating that they are not interested. "We are pleased to hear that our protest was effective and the Conservative candidate for Oakville is taking an interest in the issues that are important to the Department of Culture," the release read. "At this point, we do not see the value in having a private meeting with Mr. Young. We believe that any debate or exchange of ideas is best heard in the public forum. Our concerns are open and published, and we look forward to debating the policies of the Conservatives and the views of Mr. Young at the all-candidates meetings." The Department of Culture has created a swing team in Oakville to work towards preventing a Conservative candidate, in this case Young, from winning the riding. Young said he is disappointed in the group's decision not to meet with him. "I think they are shooting the messenger," he said. "If Terence Young is in Parliament, it will be an additional voice for the arts." Young said the Department of Culture "don't know anything about me" if they think he's against the arts. Young stated that he's had a lifelong passion for the arts. "When I was young, I sang in my father's church choir from age six to 19," he said. "My brothers and I did some radio and television commercials. I was a member of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) for eight years and actually I costarred at age 13 with Canada's iconic actor William Hut at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in a play called Nicholas Romanov about the last czar of Russia. I would love to talk to them about acting and the arts, because I've been involved in arts all my life." Young also noted that he took actions to foster the arts as the Conservative Various national media have calculated the amount of Conservative cuts to arts and culture to be $45 million, which Young maintains is an unfair and incorrect estimate. "People don't know that we have increased funding for culture and the arts by 8.6 per cent overall," he said. "Some programs wind down and others start. When you give funding to an arts program, it's not forever." Sales · Service · Leasing View our inventory online at pfaffoakville.com 9 2 1 7 3 Porsche 911's Porsche Boxster's Porsche Cayman S Porsche Cayenne Sport Utilities Mercedes-Benz 2416 Wyecroft Road Oakville ON L6L 6M6 · 905.469.8854 Conservative candidate Terence Young Member of Provincial Parliament for north Oakville (Halton Centre) from 1995 until the riding boundaries changed in 1999. "I was part of a government in Ontario that provided the land at no charge to build the new opera house (the Canadian Opera Company's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts) in Toronto," he said. "We also provided a tax-free status so they would never have to pay property tax and I worked on that file and was the chair of the finance committee at that time and I made sure that bill got through the house." While the arts and culture funding issue often sits simmering on the backburner during a federal election, it has dominated recent national headlines after Harper's comments in Saskatoon last week claiming "ordinary people" don't care about arts funding. "I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people at, you know, 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," Harper said. Young said the controversy surrounding arts and culture cuts has been blown out of proportion. He added that arts groups can't expect 100 per cent of funding to come from the federal government. "It is the responsibility of the government to spend taxpayers' dollars wisely," he said. "Spending money on the arts is wise, the arts create a lot of jobs and they tell us who we are. I think a lot of people in the arts expect the government to pay for everything, and that's simply not possible. So, when the government doesn't pay for everything, you can get a negative reaction." For a limited time join one of Ontario's finest athletic and social clubs at a 50% reduction. Nestled on the edge of Oakville's harbour, the Oakville Club is steeped in the rich history of its lore and the modern elixir of active relaxation. Offering a unique blend of sport and social engagements, the club appeals to the kinetic lifestyle in a tranquil setting. Families discover a compass of generations and a place to forge new memories. 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