OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Tony Clement
Tories Cut Pride Funding
Pride Toronto has been denied any funding this year from the federal government. The festival, which had previously been supported with federal tourism programs, brought in an estimated $100 million in tourism dollars last year, most of which was subject to GST/PST.
This denial of funds is not much of a surprise considering the Conservative’s attack on gay festivals last year. Diane Ablonsky was removed from her position immediately after announcing that she had allocated $400,000 to Pride Toronto to help make the festival events more accessible to people with disabilities. Immediately after, the Tories cut funding to Montréal’s Divers/Cité festival and the Black and Blue festival.
Don’t think that these cuts were across the board, mind you. The federal government has still allocated $100,000,000 over two years to support tourism in Canada. Industry Minister Tony Clement touted the program as representing “every corner of Canada,” but I guess gays aren’t in one of those corners, since not a single gay cultural event is represented.
Here are a few of the things that are:
- Burlington’s Ribfest will get $98,610
- The Gatineau balloon festival will be receiving $170,000
- The Ontario Plowmen’s Association will receive $255,460
- The Norfolk Horse Show will get $171,000
- Old Home Week will receive $134,888
And let’s not forget the Calgary Stampede, which will receive $1,001,625. That’s only $80,000 less than the second balloon festival being given federal funds this year, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richeliu balloon festival, at $1,082,100.
Well, I sure hope some of those balloons are rainbow-coloured, because that’s about as gay as it’s going to get this year.
- Toronto gay pride denied federal funds [CBC News]
- 2010 Contributions and Recipients [Industry Canada]
Tony Clement Embarasses AIDS Delegates
Canadian AIDS delegates at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico were embarrassed by Health Minister Tony Clement, according to reports at Xtra.
Richard Elliott, director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, expressed his concern and disappointment, calling Clement’s performance “an embarrassment for Canada”:
It’s become very clear that we have a health minister, and presumably a government behind him, who are denialists. It’s similar to the condemnation the South African government received for denying that HIV causes AIDS.
Though I’m not exactly sure what Mr. Clement did, I can at least confirm that no lampshade hats or naughty xerox pranks were involved. Still, while the rest of the world is making the fight against AIDS a higher priority, Canada has been lagging. Stephen Harper was a no-show when Canada held the conference in 2006.
AIDS workers and researchers have been disappointed with Canada’s role in the fight against AIDS worldwide, blaming the government for a lack of funding and action.
Hat tip to Matt at Queer Liberal for the story.
