The cultural industry wants to be recognized as an economic engine of New Brunswick | New Brunswick Elections 2024

The two parties in opposition at the time of the dissolution of the 60th legislature of New Brunswick say they are not forgetting the cultural industry, an area that is not at the top of the list in the current electoral campaign.

New Brunswickers are called to the polls on October 21 to elect their next government.

The Acadian Association of Professional Artists of New Brunswick (AAAPNB), campaigns for culture to be recognized as an economic engine.

She demands three things from the future government: better conditions for industrial workers, investments, and senior civil servants who know about the field.

Study on the economic benefits of culture

For Jean-Philippe Raîche, the president of the association, there is no doubt that arts and culture are an economic opportunity to be seized for New Brunswick society.

We requested a study from Pierre-Marcel Desjardins, the economist from the University of Moncton, who calculated that[…] with an additional investment of $40.5 million, we will arrive at tax revenues — so HSTbusiness tax and personal income tax — at an income of 82 millionhe explains.

These investments – the study by Pierre-Marcel Desjardins demonstrates – will bring money into the state coffershe noted Sunday during an interview with Téléjournal Acadie.

If you do the math, that means there’s 41.5 million leftmaintains Mr. Raîche. That could pay for all the breakfasts for all the children, in all the schools in New Brunswick, all year long.

In the Liberal Party and the Green Party, we do not make quantified promises, but we have commitments.

We are not committing to specific amounts, currently, but we want to contributesaid Isabelle Thériault, the Liberal candidate in Caraquet, who had a career in the cultural industry before entering politics.

In their recently released platform, the Liberals say they intend better leverage opportunities to invest in our artists, cultural and creative industries and institutions to ensure well-paid jobs and a robust creative economy.

To the Green Party of New Brunswick, we are committed to providing the necessary funding to the industrydeclares musician Serge Brideau, candidate in Tracadie.

We are committed to adopting a law on the status of the artist. It’s in our platformhe said in an interview.

On the Liberal side, we are content to promise to support the work of the transition committee on the Status of the Artistas we write in the electoral platform.

This recognition of the status of the artist is necessary, maintains the Acadian Association of Professional Artists.

We want artists to be able to create and work in good conditions, conditions comparable to all other workers. That’s the basisinsists its president, Jean-Philippe Raîche.

The Green Party candidate in Tracadie proposes to restructure the current Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Culture.

We could create a Ministry of Arts and Culturesays Serge Brideau. It could be a big ministry, but with small regional developments. It would be separate from tourism.

The Professional Artists Association is not necessarily talking about a separate ministry. She wants people who work at the department to understand the economic contribution of culture.

We need to have specialists in a ministry who are specialists in the management of cultural industries, and not specialists in tourism or sports management — which is entirely commendable, but which is something completely different.declares Jean-Philippe Raîche.

The Progressive Conservative Party has not yet made an announcement regarding arts and culture and we were unable to speak to a spokesperson.

According to the report by Katherina Boucher and with information from Margaud Castadère