Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has put forward a bill aiming to monitor the morality of Canada’s television and film industry. Bill C-10 is before the Senate and if passed will change Canada’s income tax laws regarding Canadian-content productions that qualify for tax credits.
The legislation proposes denying tax credits to any production deemed “contrary to public policy.” Game and talk shows, sports, news, reality television and pornography are already ineligible to receive tax credits.
This bill would limit artistic freedom and financial capacity. It has the potential to seriously harm the Canadian industry, which is known for pushing the envelope when compared to more regulated American entertainment.
Canadian directors such as David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan have received attention for their films’ controversial content and would easily satisfy the criteria for “offensive” material. Movies such as Juno—whose lead actors and director were Canadian—and Brokeback Mountain—filmed in Alberta—may never have made it to the big screen.
The criterion of being “contrary to public policy” is a ridiculous threshold that leaves ample space for censorship. Allowing bureaucrats to have the final say in what’s “offensive” is contrary to public policy itself and threatens freedom of expression.
When the Canadian industry attempts to mimic the American blockbuster entertainment style, the projects often end up flopping. Canadian films are able to reach receptive Canadian audiences and make waves internationally because their producers are free to experiment with edgier content—one need only look at this year’s Oscars for examples.
With this bill, the Conservative government gives the thumbs up to generic, watered-down versions of Canadian films and television. It jeopardizes the independence of Canada’s media industry, making it clear the only aspect of Canadian entertainment important to the Conservative government is their ongoing puppet show.
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