W, .Wh _w _._,_, x a March .21, 19.85 »OTTAWA (CUP) — The federal government has no immediate plans to :launeh an advertising campaign. .for International Year of Youth, . even-though three months of the year have nearly passed. Youth ministry officials say the delay in advertising stems from a- lack of funds and ‘I'fisbrganization in the " youth portfolio, which has been held by three different} ministers; since. its inception in December 1983.. ’ ' Brad.Mann, assistant di- rector of communications; in the secrf'tary of state’s office, says youth minister, Andree Champagne has only "asked for advice on how to launch 'the3y’ear and has yet to ap- prove a budget ‘ for adver- tising. advertising because the minister has not yet taken it. We have-had such a rapid turnover Of ministers and.« ’ must present a new budgeté ' “There’s no decision on . e 'and briefing to each one,” ' Mann says. had so many “We’ve changes. it’s only normal ‘ that the minister would want, to become acquainted ‘with her portfolio before making any decisions and would :Want to make those in an orderly fashion. ’ ’ Champagne took'charge of the youth ministry shortly 'iafter the Tories swept into bower. She succeeded Liberal 5V1? Jean LaPierre; who held the post since July 1984. The first youth minister was former Liberal MP Celine Hervieux-Payette,‘ appointed in early January 1984 and re- placed by Lapierre in the Turner cabinet. In a speech to the Ottawa board of education in De- cember, Champagne prof mised to ,spread information about the year’s themes and objectives to the public. And in a speech to the House of Commons in January, she further promised to develop a communication program to heighten Canadians’ aware- ness of young people’s con- tribution to society. So far, the youth ministry has produced two bulletins outlining the year’s activities, posters and buttons. It has less than $3 million for pro- motional material out of $22 million budget. ‘ Gilles Leveillee, > youth ministry chief of staff, says Champagne at themonth’s end arid that ministry officials are examin- ing the effectiveness of ad- vertisements in student news— papers and on the radio, two forms of media that reach . . thousands of young people.‘ ' v 0 .“I’m just 59s, the-- We best way team ‘53 I’m for "advertisingmlit we 7 have to find the best way, to reach youth with the money i we have,” Leveilleesays. Leveillee says the youth minister 'has not yet con- ducted an information blitz may allocate" more money for promotion " through the media because she changed the criteria for r grant eligibility in late. N07 vember, tw'o months before she actually launched the year in her -House speech. The criteria» changes include ac- cepting applications from “organizations, instead of just - individuals, including and ginning. partial salaries as part of budgets for grants. Opposition MPs say they are not surprised that Cham- pagne has failed to advertise the year,‘ which they say has been a sad joke played on young people since its be- “No advertising budget is fairly consistent in regard to the government’s initiative for youth. Not much, is going on anyway,” says Howard McCurdy, NDP education I and youth critic. “I don’t know if Cham- pagne has made very many decisions. I don’t see that she’s doing anything at all.” Liberal youth critic Sheila Finestone says the year is the “biggest secret .in town” and has turned out to be one “big birthday party” for the minister, her staff and young people not bothered by social problems. The Magic of ’ Youth Canrailpass. The More you Trave|.The More you Save. If you want to see a'"lot of Canada for as little as possible, a VIA Youth Canrailpass is just the ticket, becaUse the more you use it, the more you'll save! And with VIA Rail, you just sit back, relax and soak up the scenery, while we do all the driving! Youth Canrailpasses are available for anybody aged / 12-24 for travel on all VIA routes. But you can buy one just for the West, the East, for the area between Québec City and Windsor, as well as for coast-to-coast. A choice for any budget; You can‘travel as often as you like, whenever you like, — and stopvover wherever you like. 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