23 June 2015

Adios James Moore

Former Minister of Canadian Heritage and present Industry Minister James Moore announced that he will not seek reelection this fall.  He joins a growing parade of Conservative Ministers and MPs who will not been running.

Let's reflect on his achievements:

- cutting Library and Archives Canada budget by a greater percentage than any other part of the Canadian Heritage portfolio
- reinventing the Museum of Civilization and augmenting its funding
- presiding over the virtual dismantling of the Interlibrary Loan Program at LAC.
- presiding over the abolition of the National Archival Development Program
- appointing and largely tolerating mismanagement by Librarian and and Archivist of Canada Daniel Caron
- washing his hands of responsibility for LAC by claiming it's an arms-length agency while the LAC Act states that the organization is "presided over by the Minister." Quite how arm's-length agencies are was shown just on Monday when the president of the Treasury Board saw fit to hand down regulations regarding travel binding on real arm's-length agencies such as the Mint.

4 comments:

Elayne Lockhart said...

Thank you for this reminder, John. How quickly the media moves on. These "accomplishments" should be noted publicly again in this election year.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps they should check his purse strings like they have done with FIFA!!

Gail B said...

spot on! I have forwarded to many others in the heritage field here. Other volunteer activists, librarians and archivists.

In Ontario, as you know, heritage is buried under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the past and present Ministers of same never attend a conference, never answer their email or snail mail regarding heritage structures. The Federal Current Minister of Heritage is a former police officer with no known background of heritage whatsoever.

Gail B in Niagara

Lorne Bruce said...


Don't forget Moore's announcement in 2008 that axed the proposed Portrait Gallery of Canada which was supposed to emulate other countries heritage portrait institution ... one of the earlier "budget efficiencies" that he presided over.

On the plus side, he did make sure that LAC screened the film "Iranium" after saying he was disappointed it had been originally cancelled by LAC.