It should be pointed out that the Harper Government's cuts to arts and culture programs do not save the Government of Canada any money at all. According to the Canada Council for the Arts the 7 billion dollars invested in culture (in 2004) generated $26 billion in economic activity and creates 740,000 jobs. In fact more jobs than agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and oil and gas utilities comined. This means that the Canadian federal government, as well as provincial and local government generate more money from arts and culture (through taxes) than they put into it. This reinforces the point that cuts to arts and culture are about silencing any Canadian cultural ideas that would separate Canada from the United States - there is simply no other reason that a government would deliberately deal itself an economic blow and eliminate jobs across Canada with no corresponding benefit to anyone.
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