Members of Billy Talent said Friday they are not fans of the current Ontario government.
The rock band said via Twitter that tourism, culture and sport minister Lisa MacLeod misrepresented the nature of a meeting they had with her inside a Toronto recording studio.
MacLeod tweeted a photo of herself behind a drum kit with band members around her. “Many thanks to @BillyTalentBand for having me play drums today as they record their new album!,” she wrote. “As @ExploreON Minister I’m proud the Ministry supports the Ontario Music Fund!”
The tweet has since been deleted.
“Unfortunately, a photo of us with the minister was posted without our knowledge or consent that completely misinterpreted the purpose of the meeting and has been misinterpreted by some as our support for the current administration,” Billy Talent countered.
“While we recognize that Ms. MacLeod was attempting to be funny, the fact is that what the Provincial government is doing to artists in Ontario is anything but.”
Premier Doug Ford’s government cut the Ontario Music Fund from $15 million to $7 million in its spring budget.
The band said it agreed to meet with MacLeod at the request of its record label to talk about the slashing of the Ontario Music Fund but the minister’s tweet was a “mischaracterization of the purpose of our meeting.”
Billy Talent’s statement ends by stating that it does not support the Premier Doug Ford’s administration “and what they are doing to the arts.”
It added: “And we’re happy with our current drummer, Lisa.”