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Dion says Liberals ready to fight an election, retain arts funding

Canadian Press Article online since August 27th 2008, 23:00
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Dion says Liberals ready to fight an election, retain arts funding
In this file photo, Liberal leader Stephane Dion leaves a news conference in Ottawa Tuesday, Aug. 19 2008, after answering reporters' questions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson
MONTREAL - Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says his party is primed to go if the Tories call a general election next week.
"We are ready, we are well-organized, we are determined to win this election," Dion told a news conference Thursday in Montreal.
"We have a very strong team."
The Conservatives have strongly suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper will ask the Governor General to dissolve the current Parliament, possibly within days, sending Canadians to the polls.
When asked whether he thinks opposition parties should have toppled the government earlier, Dion said keeping the Tories in power has allowed Canadians to become acquainted with Harper's true intentions.
"I think we had good reason not to trigger an election before Canadians learned more about what this government represents," he said.
"I think it has been good to wait."
Dion attended a round-table discussion with artists' groups in Montreal, where he denounced the Conservative government's proposed cuts to federal arts and cultural spending.
He also promised the Liberals would not follow through with $45 million in arts cutbacks, which has been proposed by the Conservative government.
Dion said the proposed cuts have nothing to do with poor program management, but an "ideological vendetta."
He said the programs have been working well in promoting Canadian artists at home and abroad.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Quebec artists gathered in a Montreal square to condemn the cuts.
The arts community accused the government of trying to censor artists.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, have said the funding cutbacks were the result of a review that found the programs wasted money.
Government MPs argued that the millions saved will go to other arts and cultural programs that are producing better results.
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