Expecting our government to get anything right regarding its understanding of Canadian Culture is bound to leave us disappointed. I suggest you ask for a meeting with Minister Miller and/or send him this critique.
At this stage I can only agree with those who find the analysis of bureaucratic bafflegab brilliant and hope with them that Marc Miller receives a copy and takes it into serious consideration.
It would be interesting to learn what the purchasing practices of our libraries are. I suspect that they tend to buy books high on bestseller lists, which provably mostly American publishers.
They do shelve Canaduan books. Are those borrowed in the same numbers as American books? That might give a different perspective on US vs. Cdn publishing.
Marc Miller is the current minister in the culture portfolio, a role which Liberal Prime Ministers always assign to a Quebecer and ususually a francophone. In this case, Miller seems to have been demoted, possibly due to his attachment to the bungled immigration portfolio. So he is a cabinet minister who should understand government and bureaucracy.
He has accepted this briefing note and there is no evidence presented here that he rejected the note as inadequate or substandard, let alone as a document that would lead to a demotion for its author. Therefore let's not blame just unelected Ottawa types for such poor work. Those people seem to be performing competently as measured by a senior minister of the government.
I would think others who know their industry as well as you know yours could write something very similar about what's happening there. And that's not a comforting thought.
This kind of incompetence is endemic within the federal government bureaucracy. When I was working in its catacombs as an economist, I couldn't I could stand it and quit to write business books. The impression of unintended consequences and a vast misallocation of resources has only since been reinforced by the stories from my Ottawa relatives, neighbours and friends who are in the public service. Somebody should write a book about it.
"We often wonder here why there’s no sense of urgency to help the English-Canadian book industry, and why no one in Ottawa feels accountable for the mess that’s been made of it. This briefing note is the answer."
The chicken-egg thing here is of public concern and government concern. That, unfortunately, keeps getting answered and has been for a long time. English Canadians may claim they care about Canadian sovereignty but they will also continue to consume foreign television and books and movies at the expense of their own. Any nation that does not care about or tell its own stories is not long for this world. The government is indifferent but then again, this is not an election issue. And we can't muster the numbers to make it one. The government can show they throw money at "culture" but they never ask to see results (never mind reciepts).
Thank you Ken for this transparent and honest analysis, doing the work of bureaucrats and running a publishing house. Shame on those elected for such mediocre effort.
Expecting our government to get anything right regarding its understanding of Canadian Culture is bound to leave us disappointed. I suggest you ask for a meeting with Minister Miller and/or send him this critique.
At this stage I can only agree with those who find the analysis of bureaucratic bafflegab brilliant and hope with them that Marc Miller receives a copy and takes it into serious consideration.
It would be interesting to learn what the purchasing practices of our libraries are. I suspect that they tend to buy books high on bestseller lists, which provably mostly American publishers.
They do shelve Canaduan books. Are those borrowed in the same numbers as American books? That might give a different perspective on US vs. Cdn publishing.
Marc Miller is the current minister in the culture portfolio, a role which Liberal Prime Ministers always assign to a Quebecer and ususually a francophone. In this case, Miller seems to have been demoted, possibly due to his attachment to the bungled immigration portfolio. So he is a cabinet minister who should understand government and bureaucracy.
He has accepted this briefing note and there is no evidence presented here that he rejected the note as inadequate or substandard, let alone as a document that would lead to a demotion for its author. Therefore let's not blame just unelected Ottawa types for such poor work. Those people seem to be performing competently as measured by a senior minister of the government.
I know who to blame.
Excellent and necessary analysis, Ken. Marc Miller needs to see it.
Thanks for an excellent analysis, Ken. This should be sent to the Minister!
I would think others who know their industry as well as you know yours could write something very similar about what's happening there. And that's not a comforting thought.
that's the scary part. it really comes down to state capacity/governance issues
This kind of incompetence is endemic within the federal government bureaucracy. When I was working in its catacombs as an economist, I couldn't I could stand it and quit to write business books. The impression of unintended consequences and a vast misallocation of resources has only since been reinforced by the stories from my Ottawa relatives, neighbours and friends who are in the public service. Somebody should write a book about it.
"We often wonder here why there’s no sense of urgency to help the English-Canadian book industry, and why no one in Ottawa feels accountable for the mess that’s been made of it. This briefing note is the answer."
The chicken-egg thing here is of public concern and government concern. That, unfortunately, keeps getting answered and has been for a long time. English Canadians may claim they care about Canadian sovereignty but they will also continue to consume foreign television and books and movies at the expense of their own. Any nation that does not care about or tell its own stories is not long for this world. The government is indifferent but then again, this is not an election issue. And we can't muster the numbers to make it one. The government can show they throw money at "culture" but they never ask to see results (never mind reciepts).
Thanks, Ken. You’re doing invaluable work with this newsletter. I hope someone in government is reading this.
Brilliant analysis!
Thank you Ken for this transparent and honest analysis, doing the work of bureaucrats and running a publishing house. Shame on those elected for such mediocre effort.
This is a definitive analysis. Should be required reading for everyone who writes, publishes, or reads Canadian books. Hats off, Ken. Thanks!