Andrew Brett - NDP

1) Will your party commit to upholding the November 2005 federal commitment to a $342 million increase to arts funding over three years?

The NDP will provide increased funding for the Canada Council for the support of artists and ensure that the government follows through on November's Canada Council funding announcement.

2) Given the positive affect of arts programming on many aspects of Toronto's daily life including community volunteerism, youth engagement, economic development, employment, tourism and overall quality of life, conjoined with the fact that Toronto's artists fall in the top 25% of education levels and the bottom 25% of income levels, can you offer any concrete commitment from your party that will improve the environment for the City's artists.

Our platform includes funding of $600 million over four years in support of artists and the arts. The NDP plan gets results for arts and artists by: Introducing fair tax treatment for artists through tax averaging and exemption of the first $30,000 copyright and certain royalty income; Providing increased funding for the Canada Council for the support of artists; Directing the CRTC to require clear, binding, monitored and enforced performance standards for broadcasters, including a significant increase in the production and broadcast of Canadian drama; Ensuring that Canadian television networks remain Canadian owned; Providing sustained funding for the Canadian Television Fund and Telefilm Canada; and Enhancing federal film incentives to encourage film and television production and working with film distributors on a strategy to increase distribution of Canadian films.

Andrew Brett NDP Campaign
Scarborough-Rouge River
416.368.6022
andrewbrett.com