Tuesday, May 17, 2011

NDP unveils new arts caucus, seeks to better fund field

OTTAWA — The NDP unveiled its star-studded arts and culture caucus Tuesday with a call for more funding for the Canada Council for the Arts and the adoption of income-averaging for artists.

While the group arrived with few figures to back up their demands and little in the way of a concrete plan, they brushed off the criticism, suggesting the real goal is to highlight the expertise the party plans to bring to the table.

"The new NDP arts and heritage caucus will be the strongest arts caucus in the history of the Canadian Parliament," veteran New Democrat and one-time Juno nominee Charlie Angus said before introducing his new colleagues.