ACTRA put the following issues affecting Canadian performers front and centre during the election:
We look forward to working with our new government and all of our newly elected Members on Parliament on implementing policies that will Keep Canada on our Screens.
- Levelling the playing field so all players in Canada’s film, television and digital media industry are held to the same standards in terms of taxation, production contributions and discoverability of Canadian content.
- Supporting long-term, stable funding to the CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada Media Fund, National Film Board and Telefilm Canada.
- Enhancing diversity initiatives and adopting gender parity measures as a condition of production financing from the federal government.
- Delivering a made-in-Canada copyright solution that respects audiovisual performers and ensures we are properly compensated for our work, including the extension of economic and moral rights to audiovisual artists.
Downloadable backgrounders:
Levelling the playing field in the digital age
Investment in film and television to support a diversity of Canadian voices
Delivering a made-in-Canada copyright solution
Levelling the playing field in the digital age
Investment in film and television to support a diversity of Canadian voices
Delivering a made-in-Canada copyright solution
Federal Parties' cultural commitments
(English synopsis derived from French-language commitments)
- Tax web giants 3% on their Canadian revenues. Bring together Francophonie stakeholders to create a think tank on the promotion and protection of Francophone cultures on online platforms.
- Establish a committee on the media’s future with all the stakeholders affected by the current crisis in written media, including the governments of Quebec and the provinces as well as experts, to find long-term solutions to ensure the survival of our press and all broadcasters (general and specialty television and radio).
- Transfer the regulation of Quebec telecommunications and broadcasting to Quebec so that development corresponds to Quebec’s needs.
- Ensure the Canadian government recognizes Quebec culture and gives more exposure to Quebec creators by ensuring they are promoted on digital platforms, such as Apple Music, Spotify or Netflix, through the platforms’ algorithms.
- Increase Telefilm Canada's budget to allow for the creation of online series comparable to what is done in other countries.
- To ensure that government programs and institutions support our cultural sector through changes in media and culture, we will work in a consultative way with the arts, music, film, and other industries to understand how government can adapt.
- Ensure a level playing field with Canadian businesses. In line with similar taxes in Europe, we will apply a 3 per cent tax on revenues of businesses that provide a social media platform, search engine, or an online marketplace to Canadians. The tax will only apply to the largest companies; those with worldwide revenues of more than $1 billion and revenues in Canada of more than $50 million.
- Include a pathway for these companies to set up shop here in Canada. If a company chooses to locate here and pay regular corporate income tax, then we will allow them to deduct their corporate income tax from the large technology company tax.
Read the full Conservative Party of Canada platform (see pg. 48/100 of the PDF for industry-specific commitments)
- Increase funding to all of Canada’s arts and culture organizations including the Canada Council for the Arts, the National Film Board and Telefilm Canada.
- Review tax incentives for film production to ensure all parts of Canada are competitive and attractive to the industry, with incentives rising when Canadian artistic and technical talent are employed.
- Increase funding to CBC and Radio Canada by $315 million per year until the per-capita level of funding is equal to that of the BBC.
- Reform the governance structure of CBC/Radio Canada to remove the potential for political interference in board appointments.
- Apply a corporate tax on transnational e-commerce companies doing business in Canada by requiring the foreign vendor to register, collect and remit taxes where the product or service is consumed. The e-commerce sector – giants like Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Uber command a significant share of the Canadian market but pay virtually no tax.
- Allow Quebec to veto agreements with foreign production companies, such as Netflix, that affect the province’s cultural sector.
Read the full Green Party of Canada platform (see pg. 32/44 of the PDF for industry-specific commitments)
- Strengthen the regional mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada, so that local stations can broadcast more local news; and require CBC/Radio-Canada to open up its digital platform, so that journalism start-ups and community newspapers can access affordable technology to develop and distribute local content;
- Continue to support Canadian film by increasing annual funding for Telefilm Canada by nearly 50 per cent a year;
- Introduce a new Cultural Diplomacy strategy, with at least one international mission each year to promote Canadian culture and creators around the world; and
- move forward, in our first year, with legislation that will take appropriate measures to ensure that all content providers – including internet giants – offer meaningful levels of Canadian content in their catalogues, contribute to the creation of Canadian content in both official languages, and promote this content and make it easily accessible on their platforms.
- Make sure that Netflix, Facebook, Google, and other digital media companies play by the same rules as Canadian broadcasters. That means paying taxes, supporting Canadian content in both official languages, and taking responsibility for what appears on their platforms.
- Increase funding for CBC and Radio-Canada.
- Make sure that arts and cultural institutions receive stable, long-term funding to grow and promote Canada’s diverse cultures and histories.
- Make life more affordable by putting in place income tax averaging for artists and cultural workers.
Read the full NDP platform (see pg. 85 of the PDF for culture-specific commitments)
Election results
Canadians across the country went to the polls on Monday, October 21. See how the election played out in each of the 338 ridings across the country (CBC).
For complete election results, visit Elections Canada.
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