Dear Mr. Kenney, I read with dismay in the Calgary Herald that the Canadian Government is making it much more expensive for Canadian venues to hire musicians from outside the country. While I have long respected Canada's promotion of its sovereign music business and support of Canadian artists, this kind of protectionism is not in Canada's interest. Canada has a lot of talent to share with the world, but isolating Canadian musicians from international musicians in this way will deter the artistic and commercial growth of both groups. As a musician from the U.S., I and many of my colleagues will look elsewhere for performance opportunities. To this you might perhaps say, "Good riddance!", but I can tell you that Canadian audiences will be the poorer for missing the opportunity to hear us. I hope that the government changes course and creates a more welcoming environment for musicians from outside Canada. Sincerely, David Thorne Scott