The federal government clashed with Premier Danny Williams on Friday over arts funding in what may be a sign of things to come in the next federal election.
Mr. Williams has announced that his Progressive Conservative government will cover federal funding cuts to artists in Newfoundland and Labrador by their Conservative counterparts in Ottawa.
He said he wants to protect local artists and the province's cultural industries from $45-million in funding cuts across the country recently announced by the federal government.
Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, the federal minister responsible for the province, accused Mr. Williams on Friday of trying to score political points that are not supported by the facts.
He argued that the cuts announced by the government amount to less than 1 per cent of federal arts funding and said that in the past year, the government has boosted funding to the arts to $3.4-billion from $3.2-billion.
“This predictable line of attack (from Mr. Williams) will continue in the days and weeks ahead,” he said in a statement. “People should see it for what it is.”
The hostility between Mr. Williams and Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been a feature of the relationship between the two men since 2006 when a feud began over offshore oil revenues.
Since then, Mr. Williams has promised to campaign against Mr. Harper in the next federal election.
In his statement, Mr. Hearn took a swipe at the government led by Mr. Williams on a number of issues, including the quality of drinking water in the province after a series of boil water advisories were issued.
It also appeared to dismiss Mr. Williams as a threat to the federal Tories.
“Voters will make up their own minds as to how they will vote in the upcoming federal election, whenever it will be, based on what's best for their families, their communities and their wallets,” Mr. Hearn said.
The cuts have been described by arts groups and opposition MPs as vital to the promotion of Canadian arts abroad.
The federal government has also been accused of targeting artists whose politics and philosophies are out of favour with the Conservatives.
Conservative MPs argued that the cuts were the result of a review of arts funding that found the programs had either fulfilled their original goals or were wasting money with excessive administrative expenses.
Mr. Williams accused Tory MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador of not doing enough to stop the cuts in a province that places a great importance on the arts.
He said that the province's artists serve as cultural ambassadors and that ensuring them an opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience is a benefit to everyone.
