Cynthia Cameron - NDP

New Democrats have always been strong supporters of public broadcasting, of film and television, of the arts, and above all, of artists. Our plan is about focused, targeted steps to support creative people and to make sure Canadians see themselves in our culture.

Canada’s 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.

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.

For more information, we encourage you to consult our full 2006 election platform at: http://www.ndp.ca/page/2963

Thank you for your interest in the views of the New Democratic Party on the critical issues facing Canadians.

We appreciate your efforts to help voters make an informed decision on voting day.

Sincerely,

Jack Layton

Leader of Canada’s NDP