Karen Kain, artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, has written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper with a plea not to stop showcasing Canadian artists abroad.

The letter, cosigned by Kain and ballet company executive director Kevin Garland, expresses concern about recent budget cuts in both the Foreign Affairs and Canadian Heritage departments.

In both cases, programs that supported appearances abroad by Canadian artists are to be discontinued next March.

Kain and Garland say the government's decision is "incomprehensible" and are seeking assurances that the arts sector will be consulted before any more cuts are made.

Their plea comes on the same day as the release of a new economic report arguing that culture is a major contributor to national wealth and prestige.

The 60-page study from the Conference Board of Canada, a private-sector think-tank that did the study in collaboration with the federal government, argues that culture generated $84.6 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits last year, or 7.4 per cent of total gross domestic product.

On Parliament Hill Tuesday, opposition MPs raised the spectre of government censorship and abuse of power as they launched a House of Commons review of the nearly $45 million in cuts to arts funding.