Edmonton – Laurie Blakeman, Alberta Liberal Critic for Culture and Community Spirit, says that Minister Lindsay Blackett should resign for denigrating Alberta’s film and television industry and failing in his duty to properly support a vital sector of Alberta’s economy.

Blackett asked “Why do I fund so much crap?” while attending the Banff World Television Festival on Monday. The funding in question refers to provincially-subsidized Alberta film and television productions.

“If the Minister of Health said our doctors and nurses were crap, that Minister would be fired. If the Minister of Education said our teachers were crap, that Minister would be fired. If the Minister of Energy said that the oil sands were crap, you can bet that Minister would be sitting on the backbenches faster than the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit can think of something stupid to say,” Blakeman says. “And that’s pretty fast.”

Blakeman says that if the Minister cannot promote or properly support this important sector, he should resign - or be fired.

“While on a taxpayer-funded trip, he took the opportunity to slam hardworking Albertans who are trying to tell Alberta stories and make greater contributions to our culture and economy,” Blakeman says. “You can’t expect Hollywood-level quality given chronic underfunding. It’s a testament to the talent and perseverance of the Alberta film and television industry that we get as much quality work as we do despite this administration’s and this Minister’s neglect.”

Blakeman notes that during Blackett’s tenure, film production in Alberta has fallen and thousands of film workers have been forced to relocate to neighbouring provinces to find work.

“He’s exporting good, well-paying jobs and contributing to a creative brain drain - just the opposite of what he should be doing in his role as Minister of Culture,” Blakeman says. “If the Minister thinks our film and TV sector is crap, he should look in the mirror to see who’s responsible. In a little over two years, he’s overseen the loss of millions of dollars in funding and managed to do more damage to the sector than any of his predecessors. That’s some legacy.”

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