Patrick Lane on politics

I interviewed Patrick Lane for FFWD a few weeks ago, just before he came to town for WordFest. He was reading at an event on October 15, the day after the federal election. During the interview, I asked him what he thought of Stephen Harper's disparaging comments about the arts. His answer didn't make it into print, but I think it's worth sharing.

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It's not really new, Harper attacking the arts. He really would love to see CBC disappear altogether, he'd love to see the Canada Council diminished.

I think politicians are afraid of art and artists. They unnerve them because they're unmanageable. They're a disorderly bunch who'll come out with anything, and this scares them. A guy like Harper, who's got such a need for order in the world... none of his candidates can even talk, right? Only Harper can talk. This is a control freak of mammoth proportions, and control freaks can't stand disorder. Artists offer them that, and it scares them.

Not just him - the NDP has never been a friend of the arts. I think of the NDP in British Columbia, who had an opportunity to really help out the arts, and they were actually afraid of it. They chose not to foster a healthy cultural community. They thought they were fostering a cultural community, but they wanted to exclude the arts.

I've heard it before. I mean, I've been around for 70 years, I'm looking back to Mackenzie King. Louis St. Laurent was like this, Diefenbaker was like this, Trudeau was better, but everyone in Alberta doesn't have the greatest respect for old Pierre, not after the National Energy Policy back in the late 60s, early 70s. Mulroney didn't do anything for the arts. They make promises, Dion's made a few promises about the Canada Council, but words don't always get translated into actions after an election. "These are hard economic times, we can't just throw money here."

I’m amazed that Harper came out with this gala thing, y’know? I’ve been in Ottawa, to a few of the politicians’ soirees. If you think that the artists are walking around in tuxedos, go take a look at the politicians! I mean, these guys are unbelievable. The pittance they give to artists doesn't event compare to the money that they can spend on themselves.

The arts is huge! 10% of the Canadian economy is based on the arts. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. You’re a part of it, I’m a part of it, and for him to wander around, muttering about artists, it’s kind of embarassing. It really is.

I’m not frustrated by this, because I’ve seen it before, I’m just saddened that we have to keep on going through it. Other countries don’t do this. France, Britain, Germany... Europe just loves the arts, loves culture, pumps money into it and celebrates their artists. The Americans are nutcases for it, in their own way. I mean, look at their election, it’s all about entertainment, it’s not even about issues. It’s all about Palin, and Obama. They’re more interested in Paul Newman than they are in the other guys. And then we get interested in Paul Newman. Why the hell we’re interested in him, I don’t know, he’s not one of our actors. What about Gordon Pinsent? He’s still alive, let’s talk about Gordon. But we don’t do that.

I’ve watched politicians come and go, for a long, long time. Sometimes I just think, same old, same old. I get a little tired of it, I’d like to see a new vision, but none of them seem able to come up with one.

- Patrick Lane, phone interview, October 2008