By THE CANADIAN PRESS

   
OTTAWA — The federal Conservative government says the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver must reflect its agenda as the price of its $20 million commitment to the ceremonies, according to the Globe and Mail.

The paper quotes a secret internal government briefing memo as saying the event must adequately reflect "the priorities of the government" so the ceremonies help "to achieve its domestic and international branding goals."

The paper says the memo's wording appears to mix sports and politics, despite widespread criticism of China for politicizing the Beijing Olympics.

Frank King, chair of the organizing committee for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, says no level of government was given authority over any event at those Olympics, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

King says "no one level of government told us which way to go," adding financial commitments from the federal, provincial and municipal governments were made to fund only facilities for the Calgary games.


In Vancouver, Peter Boychuk of the Alliance for Arts and Culture calls the memo "disturbing," adding he wonders if the Harper government wants to override decisions made by the planners of the opening ceremonies.