1) 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.
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.
2) As per our platform, the NDP plan to improve the environment for artists
in Toronto and all of Canada involves:
• Strengthen the status of Canada’s artists by:
– Introducing a system of tax averaging to provide fair
and equitable tax treatment for Canadian artists.
– Building on a model in Quebec, introduce an exemption
for the first $30,000 on copyright and certain royalty income.
– Protecting children in the arts with minimum standards
and trust fund rules for income earned as performers.
• Strengthen the arts in Canada by:
– Providing increased funding for the Canada Council
for the support of artists.
• Strengthen Canada’s homegrown film and television
production by:
– Directing the CRTC to require clear, binding, monitored
and enforced performance standards for broadcasters, including
a significant and permanent increase in the production and broadcast
of Canadian drama.
– Reviewing and restructuring the CRTC to avoid the mixed
mandates and conflicts of interest that undermine the role of
the commission in promoting and protecting Canadian cultural
industries.
– Ensuring that Canadian television networks remain Canadian
owned.
– Providing sustained funding for the Canadian Television
Fund and Telefilm Canada.
– Enhancing federal film incentives to encourage film
and television production.
– Establishing a forum with film distributors to agree
on targets and a strategy to screen and distribute domestic
films in Canada.
