SAA Bulletin - March 2008 - Call to Action: Bill C-10

March 4, 2008

Call to Action: Bill C-10

Slipped into the Conservative government’s Bill C-10 Amendments to the Income Tax Act, is a change that would allow Canadian Heritage to pull financial tax credit aid from Canadian film and television for productions “contrary to public policy” standards.

The amendment is a grave threat to free creative endeavour. Tax credits could be denied after the completion of work where anything is deemed to be of an explicit sexual nature, denigrates or is excessively violent without educational value. This amendment amounts to censorship of the most serious, arbitrary and offensive kind and could set a far-reaching precedent for similar future repression. Such censorship will have a chilling effect on artistic production. Guarantee of freedom of expression is an important bedrock of Canadian society and must be protected.

It is important that opposition be voiced immediately if the amendment to Bill C-10 is to be stopped. The Bill has passed 2nd reading at the Senate and is now under review by the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. Please act.

Call or email your objections to Saskatchewan Senators and your MP.
Send the following short letter, or better yet, write your own to the 8 members of the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce.
Circulate this appeal widely.

Emails and addresses for Senators, MPs and the Standing Committee are below.

Sample Letter:

Dear ___________________:

I wish to express my opposition to the changes to the Income Tax Act proposed in Bill C-10 that bring in broad censorship in the name of “public policy” to the production tax credit system. There are at present adequate protections of public interest in the hands of the federal government. Guarantees of freedom of expression are an important bedrock of Canadian society. Please ensure that these offensive censorship proposals are removed from Bill C-10.

Respectfully,

Your name and address.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

(Note: Stamps are not needed for letters mailed to these addresses.)

Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce: Contact Information

General Address:

Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce

The Senate of Canada

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4

W. David Angus anguswd@sen.parl.gc.ca

Yoine Goldstein goldsy@sen.parl.gc.ca

Michel Biron bironmi@sen.parl.gc.ca