Federal Election 2011: Political party responses
CCA Bulletin 16/11
April 18, 2011
On April 5, the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) sent the leaders of the five major federal parties a series of questions relevant to the arts, culture and heritage sector. We are publishing the responses we received in their entirety, without any edits or commentary. In order to facilitate comparison among the parties’ responses, we have formatted their answers in a table format, according to each individual question asked. An empty table indicates that we did not receive an answer to that particular question. Please note that the CCA translated the Bloc Québécois’ answers from French to English.
1. Issue: Cultural investments as part of the National Economic Strategy
a. What specific investments will your party make in the cultural sector as part of a national economic strategy?
Bloc Québécois |
In addition to the investments proposed below, the Bloc Québécois proposes:
• the establishment of an incentives program to promote the dissemination and recognition of regional cultural works and emerging new talent. The Bloc Québécois believes that these measures must grant local artists access to a minimum of 10% of media space devoted to culture. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
The Green Party understands and appreciates the many economic, social and cultural benefits that come with a clean, rich, thriving and diverse arts and heritage community in Canada. We continue to be strongly opposed to the litany
of funding cuts made by the government since 2006, a record that we believe reflects a disturbing lack of understanding, vision and strategy for this vital sector.
A Green Government will draw Canada’s cultural sector to the centre of its economy strategy. We will increase and stabilize funding to our major cultural agencies and institutions, and we will establish stable base funding for community arts programs and facilities across Canada at a set percentage of the federal budget. Our goal will be annual funding increases that are commensurate with increases for other critical sectors like health, transport and energy.
In our platform the Green Party is committed to 450 million dollars in stable basefunding for the CBC over the next three years. We are also committed to creating a Municipal Superfund with 900 million dollars in dedicated funding for sports, recreational and cultural programs and facilities. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Liberal Party recognizes that the cultural sector is a major part of the Canadian economy. According to a Conference Board study, culture generates more than $80 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits every year, and creates 1.1 million jobs. The Liberal Party also recognizes that the Canada Council for the Arts is a major force in supporting working artists. A Liberal government will increase investments in the arts sector by doubling the annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts, from $180 million to $360 million over the next four years. A Liberal government will also restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government after consulting with our stakeholders on the most efficient and effective way to implement it. New annual funding will help to create a domestic tours program as well. |
NDP |
Jack Layton’s New Democrats recognize the importance of Canada’s $46-billion arts, culture and heritage industries, and the 600,000 jobs they support. With this in mind, the Arts, Culture and Heritage policy contained in the 2011 New Democrat platform is a balanced, fully costed plan to ensure the long-term health of Canadian arts, culture and heritage industries and their continued contribution to our country’s economy and cultural wealth.
Our plan is underpinned by the belief that all Canadians have a vested interest in ensuring that our homegrown arts and cultural industries thrive, and that the federal government has an important role to play in ensuring that Canadians for generations to come have the opportunity to enjoy the breadth and richness of Canada’s artistic and cultural offerings. |
b. Does your party support increasing the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts and if so, to what level and over what time frame?
Bloc Québécois |
For the last four years, the Bloc Québécois has been asking the federal government to substantially increase the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts to $300 million in order to improve funding for artists and creators.
Additionally, the Bloc Québécois would like to create a specific fund for creators working in new media production. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
Yes, the Green Party supports increasing and stabilizing funding to all of Canada’s arts and culture organizations, including the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada and Canadian Heritage. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Liberal Party recognizes that the cultural sector is a major part of the Canadian economy. According to a Conference Board study, culture generates more than $80 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits every year, and creates 1.1 million jobs. The Liberal Party also recognizes that the Canada Council for the Arts is a major force in supporting working artists. A Liberal government will increase investments in the arts sector by doubling the annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts, from $180 million to $360 million over the next four years. A Liberal government will also restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government after consulting with our stakeholders on the most efficient and effective way to implement it. New annual funding will help to create a domestic tours program as well. |
NDP |
Our party has long been a keen supporter of the valuable work of the Canada Council for the Arts and as such, we have committed to increase the budget of the Council by $30 million in 2011–2012, $60 million in 2012–2013, and $90 million per year in both 2013–2014 and 2014–2015.
Jack Layton and the New Democrat team believe Canada’s thriving arts community should be able to rely on stable, long-term core funding from the federal government. Our commitment to fund the Council will place the organization on firm footing and enable it to maintain and expand its activities, which we believe are essential to Canada’s cultural heritage. |
c. What measures does your party propose to support the circulation of artists and their
works across Canada?
Bloc Québécois |
The Canada Council for the Arts could use part of our proposed reinvestment to support the touring of artistic works across Canada and Quebec. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
Our stable base-funding for community arts programs and facilities will stimulate and maintain a much higher level of cultural exchange activity around the country. Moreover, we intend to make funding more fair by equalizing it among
provinces, territories and municipalities to make it more consistent with the provinces and municipalities that have the highest current standards.
The Green Party will increase funding incentives for artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural regions and we will restore the government-provided transport service to allow the transport of exhibitions between museums and galleries. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Liberal Party recognizes that the cultural sector is a major part of the Canadian economy. According to a Conference Board study, culture generates more than $80 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits every year, and creates 1.1 million jobs. The Liberal Party also recognizes that the Canada Council for the Arts is a major force in supporting working artists. A Liberal government will increase investments in the arts sector by doubling the annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts, from $180 million to $360 million over the next four years. A Liberal government will also restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government after consulting with our stakeholders on the most efficient and effective way to implement it. New annual funding will help to create a domestic tours program as well. |
NDP |
New Democrats have pledged to support the circulation of Canadian artists and their work here at home by:
|
d. Do you include in your national digital strategy the creation of community multimedia centres across Canada? If so, please explain how you would do it.
Bloc Québécois |
The Bloc Québécois believes that all Quebeckers should have access to multimedia technology. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
The Green Party of Canada will support creating multi-media centres through our commitment of 900 million dollars over three years to a Municipal Superfund that is dedicated to cultural activities. |
Liberal Party |
Doubling the annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts over four years will result in significant new support for Canadian artists in the digital age.
The Liberal party believes that Canadians should continue to have access to ever more Canadian stories and Canadian content in the Digital Canada of the future. New media should provide vibrant and rewarding new avenues for expression by Canadian artists. The public broadcasters, Radio Canada and the CBC have crucial roles to play in achieving these objectives. A Liberal government will provide the CBC and Radio-Canada with stable and predictable funding in support of their unique and crucial roles as essential promoters and defenders of Canadians culture in a digital Canada. |
NDP |
New Democrats believe that our stated commitment to extend broadband coverage across the country, combined with our longstanding pledge to bring about greater access to creators and their work through stable funding for arts, culture and heritage organizations form the practical first steps toward such a strategy. |
2. Issue: Promoting Canadian Culture on the International Stage
a. What does your party propose to develop foreign markets for Canadian cultural products? What do you intend to do to support the circulation of artists and works abroad?
Bloc Québécois |
In many countries across the world, the cultural sector is considered an important ambassador, which is why most governments support artists who tour abroad. Foreign artists and presenters rely on this assistance to pay a fair price for their shows, the same way that Quebec and Canadian broadcasters rely on the assistance of overseas governments to bring foreign shows and productions to Canada. By cutting financial aid, the Conservative government has pitted Canadian artists up against the international market.
The Bloc Québécois believes that funding for international arts touring needs to be reinstated immediately.
|
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
We were strongly opposed to the long list of cuts to excellent programs like PromArt and Trade Routes, both of which filled key diplomatic and foreign affairs functions by helping build cultural bridges for Canada. A Green government will
immediately restore them. We will reverse the Conservative government’s decision to eliminate the GST rebate for foreign visitors.
We also intend to create a new federal Department of Tourism, separate from Heritage Canada, to coordinate all aspects of tourism. The initial focus will be on improving and strengthening Canada’s “brand” as a global cultural tourist destination and on promoting Canadian arts and cultural products abroad. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Promart and Trade Routes cultural promotion programs play an important role in bringing Canadian culture to the world and increasing our exports. As discussed above, a Liberal government will restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government.
A Liberal government will also implement Canada’s first Global Networks Strategy. This strategy recognizes the contribution that Canadian cultural leaders make to Canada’s presence in the world. Under this strategy, Global Network Agreements will go far beyond exports and imports. The new agreements would mandate greatly enhanced people-to-people cooperation, exchanges, and collaborative projects in key sectors such as culture. Instead of an ad hoc and piecemeal approach, we would set coherent objectives across the whole relationship, and establish specific mandates from the highest levels for action. Success will mean going well beyond government-to-government contacts and leveraging relationships at all levels, including in the private sector, academia, arts and culture and civil society.
As part of the Global Networks Strategy, a Liberal government will also launch a new Branding Canada initiative in key markets around the world, working in collaboration with the private sector, leading artists and academia. Canadian culture will be a major focus of the new Branding Canada initiative. Canadian creators working in French, English and other languages, contribute to Canadian prosperity and identity, while deepening our connections in a networked world. |
NDP |
The New Democratic Party recognizes the significance of developing new markets for Canadian artists and their works abroad. We opposed the Harper government’s decision to abruptly shutter two key cultural funding programs that facilitated the promotion of Canadian art and culture outside of Canada – Trade Routes and PromArt – and we have made a commitment to explore the reinstatement of those programs to resume the competitive export of Canadian cultural products. |
b. Will your party include culture as part of its foreign policy and if so, how will you do it? How would you incorporate culture into diplomatic strategies and trade objectives?
Bloc Québécois |
Quebec has a unique identity that needs to be preserved and enriched. We believe that on the international stage, Quebec should have its own voice, especially when it comes to cultural development. The Bloc Québécois will continue to fight until the federal government respects our cultural sovereignty. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
The Green Party believes that Canada should work cooperatively with other governments to ensure equity, global peace and security. To do this we will reestablish Canada’s reputation as global leader in peace-building, poverty alleviation and environmental protection.
To meet this objective, we will restore and strengthen culture’s traditional, rightful place as the “Third Pillar” in Canada’s foreign policy strategy, while the right of every country to sovereign ownership and control over its culture will be the core principle in all related diplomatic discourses and trade negotiations. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Promart and Trade Routes cultural promotion programs play an important role in bringing Canadian culture to the world and increasing our exports. As discussed above, a Liberal government will restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government.
A Liberal government will also implement Canada’s first Global Networks Strategy. This strategy recognizes the contribution that Canadian cultural leaders make to Canada’s presence in the world. Under this strategy, Global Network Agreements will go far beyond exports and imports. The new agreements would mandate greatly enhanced people-to-people cooperation, exchanges, and collaborative projects in key sectors such as culture. Instead of an ad hoc and piecemeal approach, we would set coherent objectives across the whole relationship, and establish specific mandates from the highest levels for action. Success will mean going well beyond government-to-government contacts and leveraging relationships at all levels, including in the private sector, academia, arts and culture and civil society.
As part of the Global Networks Strategy, a Liberal government will also launch a new Branding Canada initiative in key markets around the world, working in collaboration with the private sector, leading artists and academia. Canadian culture will be a major focus of the new Branding Canada initiative. Canadian creators working in French, English and other languages, contribute to Canadian prosperity and identity, while deepening our connections in a networked world. |
NDP |
Jack Layton and the New Democrat team believe that investing in the export of Canadian art and culture is a vital component of public diplomacy and an important element in Canada’s endeavours to compete in the global economy.
Trade Routes and PromArt were instrumental in assisting Canadians in selling their work to individual buyers and markets across the globe, in the process helping to cement Canada’s reputation abroad as a culturally vibrant and innovative country. They provided opportunities to tour abroad, as well as services that included market research, assistance in finalizing export plans and helped arts and cultural entrepreneurs to bring their products to market.
New Democrats believe that promising opportunities exist for Canadian art that has not received exposure on the international scene in the past, and we would actively seek to engage Aboriginal artists, diaspora communities and networks of culturally diverse artists to help them develop new markets for their work. |
c. How do you intend to protect culture in international trade negotiations?
Bloc Québécois |
The Bloc Québécois believes that UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the principle of cultural inclusion must be respected. In particular, we believe that the current negotiations for a Canada-EU free trade agreement must respect this principle. |
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
The Green Party believes in fair trade, not free trade. We think trade agreements should be negotiated openly and transparently, and should protect Canada’s cultural sovereignty and its unique cultural diversity. By placing foreign and corporate interests above our most cherished principles — global equity, Canadian sovereignty, human rights, and the environment — Canada’s existing and proposed trade agreements are forcing Canada in the wrong direction. Bad trade deals are bad for Canadians. A Green Government will renegotiate NAFTA and FTAA, as well as other agreements currently under negotiation (e.g. Canadian-EU Trade Agreement (CETA)). Any Chapter 11-type Investor-State provision that allow foreign companies to sue our government and its agencies (e.g. CRTC) will be removed.
Canada’s culture and communications industries will be firmly protected. Until such time as this happens, Green MPs will follow all negotiations closely and will oppose pressures by our trading partners to open existing protections under GATT/ GATS at the WTO or to introduce Chapter 11– type provisions in CETA or any other agreement. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-c:
The Promart and Trade Routes cultural promotion programs play an important role in bringing Canadian culture to the world and increasing our exports. As discussed above, a Liberal government will restore the Promart and TradeRoutes cultural promotion programs and increase their funding to $25 million annually, starting in year one of a Liberal government.
A Liberal government will also implement Canada’s first Global Networks Strategy. This strategy recognizes the contribution that Canadian cultural leaders make to Canada’s presence in the world. Under this strategy, Global Network Agreements will go far beyond exports and imports. The new agreements would mandate greatly enhanced people-to-people cooperation, exchanges, and collaborative projects in key sectors such as culture. Instead of an ad hoc and piecemeal approach, we would set coherent objectives across the whole relationship, and establish specific mandates from the highest levels for action. Success will mean going well beyond government-to-government contacts and leveraging relationships at all levels, including in the private sector, academia, arts and culture and civil society. As part of the Global Networks Strategy, a Liberal government will also launch a new Branding Canada initiative in key markets around the world, working in collaboration with the private sector, leading artists and academia. Canadian culture will be a major focus of the new Branding Canada initiative. Canadian creators working in French, English and other languages, contribute to Canadian prosperity and identity, while deepening our connections in a networked world. |
NDP |
Precedents exist to exempt cultural industries from trade agreements, as in the case of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). New Democrats wholly support carrying on this practice to allow Canada to maintain its support and protection of domestic cultural industries. |
3. Issue: Fiscal and Social Benefits Measures
a. What does your party propose to do to improve the fiscal conditions and social safety net available to self-employed creators?
Bloc Québécois |
The number of self-employed workers in the cultural sector is more than two and a half times greater than in the rest of the workforce (27.4% versus 10.4%). This reality puts artists and cultural workers in a particularly precarious position. Due to unstable working conditions for artists and professionals in the cultural and communications fields, the Bloc Québécois believes that there is an urgency to act.
The working conditions for artists in Quebec and Canada is characterized by uncertainty and the fact that they occasionally receive large sums of funding in a single payment for work that extends over a long period of time. The Bloc Québécois intends to introduce a bill that permits artists’ incomes to be spread out over a five-year period. Such a measure would take into consideration artists’ fluctuating incomes and would better account for how they are paid. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
Greens get that arts and culture jobs are “smart” jobs, that an arts education encourages workers to think creatively and inspire innovation – a capacity now in high demand by today’s global, knowledge-based business and industry. We
want more Canadians entering these fields and we want all artists to have their fair share of the economic benefits Canada receives as a direct result of their labour.
The Green Party utterly rejects the current reality in which so many of our artists – many of them highly educated — are forced to live in severe poverty. A Green Government intends to eliminate this worst kind of poverty through a Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) for all Canadians. No means testing, no monitoring, no follow-up. No artists living in poverty.
With this social safety net in place, we will follow and implement recommendations of the Canadian Conference of the Arts in order to enable artists to access various social programs including Employment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation and the Canada Pension Plan. We will implement reforms to the Canada Revenue Act to reflect the spirit and substance of the Copyright-Income Deduction for creators, increase funding incentives for artists and art events to tour Canada’s rural regions, establish the equivalent of the Japanese National Treasure Program where outstanding individual artists are supported to perfect their crafts, and remove the GST on arts and culture products and services (while shifting the burden to unwanted activities like burning fossil fuels.) |
Liberal Party |
Contrary to what Harper and the Conservative party believe, creators are not a bunch of rich people who gather at galas to whine about their grants. They are at the heart of what it means to be Canadian and great contributors to our economy. The Liberal Party believes it is the role of the government to ensure these creators have a vital economic and legislative framework to work within.
The Liberal party believes measures such as the resale right should exist in Canada as it allows creators to fairly benefit from their works when they gain value. A liberal government is willing to explore other innovative measures to ensure artists can make a better living from their works.
The Liberal party will help self-employed creators access a solid pension plan that avoids the risk, complexity and hidden management fees that too often drain retirement savings from plans that are administered by the private financial sector. A Liberal government will propose a new, voluntary supplement to the CPP called the (SRO). By leveraging the CPP, self-employed workers will have access to a large, risk-pooled fund with very low administrative fees. The SRO will be available to any Canadian worker who wants it, with maximum flexibility built in. This option will be fully portable, allowing workers to continue with this plan as their employment circumstances change.
The Liberal party will help self-employed creators care for elderly or seriously ill loved ones at home. A Liberal government will introduce a new to help lower and middle-income family caregivers, regardless of employment circumstances. This new benefit will work just like the Canada Child Tax Benefit, and will be available to all family caregivers with family incomes under $106,000 who produce a medical certificate affirming that their ill family member requires a significant amount of personal care and assistance with daily tasks. Families with sick children who meet the criteria will also qualify. The new Family Care Tax Benefit will help an estimated 600,000 family caregivers each year at an annual cost of $750 million.
A Liberal government will also help self-employed creators access affordable early childhood learning and child care programs by establishing a new that will support the creation and operation of new, affordable, high-quality early childhood learning and care spaces across Canada, with well-trained professional staff. This fund will begin with $500 million in the first year, rising to an annual commitment of $1 billion by the fourth year. |
NDP |
We advocated for an expansion of the Employment Insurance system to include self-employed workers and succeeded in giving voice to a number of the concerns of self-employed Canadians as the government introduced Bill C-56, the Fairness for Self– Employed Workers Act, in 2009. This act would provide the same special benefits to the self-employed as are currently available to regular employees: maternity benefits (up to 15 weeks), parental and adoptive benefits (up to 35 weeks), sickness benefits (up to 15 weeks), and compassionate care benefits (up to 6 weeks). New Democrats realize that while Bill C-56 is not a perfect fix, it will allow self-employed workers to access benefits for which they were ineligible in the past.
Our party has long been committed to improving EI, and providing economic relief for Canadians, with specific measures targeted to small businesses and the self-employed, including reducing the small business tax rate from 11 percent to 9 percent – an initiative we believe will offer concrete support to a sector of our economy that creates nearly half of all new jobs in Canada – offering a Job Tax Credit that will provide up to $4,500 per new hire (including a $1,000 non-refundable tax credit for worker retention), and offering tax averaging for artists and workers in cultural industries. |
b. What fiscal measures does your party propose to encourage arts philanthropy and private investment in arts, cultural industries and heritage?
Bloc Québécois |
Like the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, we believe that the federal government should consider:
|
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
The Green Party of Canada supports revenue neutral tax shifting that taxes what society does not want, such as pollution, and removes taxes from what society does want, such as employment and creativity. The Green Party of Canada will redistribute funds in a revenue neutral manner, allowing the tax system to favour non-polluting, high-employment, highly creative, knowledge-based economic activities without increasing personal income taxes. For example, the Green Party of Canada will remove the GST from arts and culture products and services while imposing a carbon tax on burning hydrocarbons and releasing their byproducts into the atmosphere.
The Green Party is also committed to increasing tax breaks for Canadians who donate to registered charities, thus making it easier for cultural organizations that are dependent on donations to thrive and prosper. |
Liberal Party |
The Government of Canada currently invests approximately $2.8 billion annually in tax expenditures for charitable donations. The Liberal party supports these measures that encourage private investments in the arts, cultural industries and heritage. A Liberal government will work with the arts sector and other stakeholders to consider measures that further stimulate private donations. |
NDP |
We believe the federal government has a crucial role to play in encouraging Canadians to donate more robustly to our country’s arts, cultural industries and heritage. We believe these industries must develop the tools to diversify their sources of income, particularly through earned revenues and a New Democrat government could assist in that goal by creating community campaigns and events for Canadians to contribute in greater numbers to their local museums, art galleries, theatres, community centres, etc. This will have the effect of increasing their long-term financial stability and building new audiences for their work and collections. |
4. Issue: Modernizing the Copyright Act
a. Precisely when does your party intend to present amendments to modernize the Copyright Act?
Bloc Québécois |
If Bill C-32 is presented before Parliament again in its current form, the Bloc will try to better balance the bill by proposing amendments during the committee’s study. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party
|
If elected, Green MPs will make modernizing our current Copyright Act a priority. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-d:
Recent studies have shown that Canada’s out-of-date Copyright act translates into major economic loss (up to 965 million dollars lost last year due to piracy, according to an Ipsos/ Oxford economics study) for Canadian creators all across the country; the Liberal Party will thus start working on presenting a modernised copyright act as soon as we form government. Bill C-32, the latest Conservative attempt to modernise copyright, was unbalanced and unfair; a Liberal government will work with all stakeholders to ensure creators rights and their sources of revenues are protected under the Copyright act.
Digital technology offers many new opportunities, but enjoying content without compensating its creators shouldn’t be among them. A new Liberal government will introduce technology neutral copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and consumers and reflects the principle that our artists and musicians should be paid for their work. We will stand with Canadian creators as they navigate both the opportunities and challenges of the new digital society.
During the debate on copyright legislation in the last Parliament, it was the Liberal Party that developed a practical solution to providing musicians with compensation through a new private copying compensation fund rather than a levy. A Liberal government will look to develop similarly innovative solutions to ensure that the Copyright Act protects creators’ existing and future rights and revenue streams in a digital age. Likewise, the Liberal party believes that any exception under fair dealings must be clearly defined with a clear and strict test for fair use so that creators are fairly compensated for their work. |
NDP |
If elected, Jack Layton and the New Democrat team are committed to introducing legislation to modernize Canada’s copyright regime within 12 months of taking office. |
b. What types of amendments do you intend to put forward?
Bloc Québécois |
Copyright law does not take into account the impact of new technologies, including the advent of the internet, and must be changed as quickly as possible. All work deserves proper compensation, so it is essential that artists and creators receive their dues, while also ensuring that consumers benefit from access to creative products.
Illegal downloading is detrimental to artists, who receive no fair compensation for their works, while internet service providers are able to benefit financially from their labour. Introduced in June 2010 by the Conservatives, Bill C-32 fails to make ISPs responsible and is satisfied with attacking the consumers who pay ISPs for internet access. |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
The Green Party believes that Bill C-32 needs more work and that the educational exceptions in particular disrespect creators and threatens their livelihoods and businesses. The Green Party of Canada is committed to working with the CCA and all the relevant stakeholders to modernize our outdated copyright system. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-d:
Recent studies have shown that Canada’s out-of-date Copyright act translates into major economic loss (up to 965 million dollars lost last year due to piracy, according to an Ipsos/ Oxford economics study) for Canadian creators all across the country; the Liberal Party will thus start working on presenting a modernised copyright act as soon as we form government. Bill C-32, the latest Conservative attempt to modernise copyright, was unbalanced and unfair; a Liberal government will work with all stakeholders to ensure creators rights and their sources of revenues are protected under the Copyright act.
Digital technology offers many new opportunities, but enjoying content without compensating its creators shouldn’t be among them. A new Liberal government will introduce technology neutral copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and consumers and reflects the principle that our artists and musicians should be paid for their work. We will stand with Canadian creators as they navigate both the opportunities and challenges of the new digital society.
During the debate on copyright legislation in the last Parliament, it was the Liberal Party that developed a practical solution to providing musicians with compensation through a new private copying compensation fund rather than a levy. A Liberal government will look to develop similarly innovative solutions to ensure that the Copyright Act protects creators’ existing and future rights and revenue streams in a digital age. Likewise, the Liberal party believes that any exception under fair dealings must be clearly defined with a clear and strict test for fair use so that creators are fairly compensated for their work. |
NDP |
We would begin by addressing issues including private copying, fair dealing, and the regime governing statutory damages, among others. |
c. Does your party support collective management of copyright as an efficient way to ensure public access to works and fair compensation to creators and other rights owners?
Bloc Québécois |
Yes |
Conservative Party |
|
Green Party |
Yes |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-d:
Recent studies have shown that Canada’s out-of-date Copyright act translates into major economic loss (up to 965 million dollars lost last year due to piracy, according to an Ipsos/ Oxford economics study) for Canadian creators all across the country; the Liberal Party will thus start working on presenting a modernised copyright act as soon as we form government. Bill C-32, the latest Conservative attempt to modernise copyright, was unbalanced and unfair; a Liberal government will work with all stakeholders to ensure creators rights and their sources of revenues are protected under the Copyright act.
Digital technology offers many new opportunities, but enjoying content without compensating its creators shouldn’t be among them. A new Liberal government will introduce technology neutral copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and consumers and reflects the principle that our artists and musicians should be paid for their work. We will stand with Canadian creators as they navigate both the opportunities and challenges of the new digital society.
During the debate on copyright legislation in the last Parliament, it was the Liberal Party that developed a practical solution to providing musicians with compensation through a new private copying compensation fund rather than a levy. A Liberal government will look to develop similarly innovative solutions to ensure that the Copyright Act protects creators’ existing and future rights and revenue streams in a digital age. Likewise, the Liberal party believes that any exception under fair dealings must be clearly defined with a clear and strict test for fair use so that creators are fairly compensated for their work. |
NDP |
Our party supports effective and representative collective licensing and we believe that a well-ordered collective approach to licensing can serve both rights-holders and consumers well. The interests of copyright licensing collectives can differ from the interests of their members and we believe that the collective has a duty to ensure that it represents and advances the interests of its members to the best of its ability. If this is the case, collective licensing can be an effective and efficient way to ensure that creators and rights-holders receive fair compensation for their work, while ensuring Canadian consumers can readily access copyrighted material.
With careful consideration of innovative mechanisms to modernize collective licensing – whether through the existing Copyright Board, legislation, or other instrument – we believe that it can strike a balance between fair access and remuneration in the future. |
d. Which elements of Bill C-32 will your party keep, and which elements of the bill will your party remove or change in a new bill to modernize the Copyright Act?
Bloc Québécois |
The Bloc Québécois will ensure that the new bill is fair to both creators and consumers. This balance must be achieved, most notably through: an upgraded system for private copying, applying to mp3 players and other digital music players; reasonable royalties to artists for redistribution of their works; the abolition of the education exemption and fair recognition of the resale rights of visual artists.
|
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
The Green Party of Canada strongly supports artists’ rights to guaranteed fair compensation through fair patent and copyright laws. At the same time, we consider the digital lock provision in Bill C-32 to be excessively restrictive in that
it will not allow students and journalists to properly create and conduct research.
We will work with the CCA and other stakeholders to sharpen the definition of “educational uses” to find the right balance to give researchers this ability in a manner consistent with a thriving information commons, fair dealing principles, and moral rights. |
Liberal Party |
Answer to questions a-d:
Recent studies have shown that Canada’s out-of-date Copyright act translates into major economic loss (up to 965 million dollars lost last year due to piracy, according to an Ipsos/ Oxford economics study) for Canadian creators all across the country; the Liberal Party will thus start working on presenting a modernised copyright act as soon as we form government. Bill C-32, the latest Conservative attempt to modernise copyright, was unbalanced and unfair; a Liberal government will work with all stakeholders to ensure creators rights and their sources of revenues are protected under the Copyright act.
Digital technology offers many new opportunities, but enjoying content without compensating its creators shouldn’t be among them. A new Liberal government will introduce technology neutral copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and consumers and reflects the principle that our artists and musicians should be paid for their work. We will stand with Canadian creators as they navigate both the opportunities and challenges of the new digital society.
During the debate on copyright legislation in the last Parliament, it was the Liberal Party that developed a practical solution to providing musicians with compensation through a new private copying compensation fund rather than a levy. A Liberal government will look to develop similarly innovative solutions to ensure that the Copyright Act protects creators’ existing and future rights and revenue streams in a digital age. Likewise, the Liberal party believes that any exception under fair dealings must be clearly defined with a clear and strict test for fair use so that creators are fairly compensated for their work. |
NDP |
In reviewing Bill C-32, New Democrats would closely examine a number of key issues contained in the proposed legislation, including (but not limited to) ISP liability, Technological Protection Measures (TPMs, or so-called “digital locks”), statutory damages, private copying and reproduction for private purposes, broadcast mechanical licensing and fair dealing.
In order to arrive at an equilibrium between the interests of rights-holders and those of consumers, New Democrats would likely begin developing new copyright laws, beginning by consulting widely with stakeholder groups with the aim of creating a legislation that is – unlike C-32 – truly technology-neutral, balanced and flexible enough to ensure its adaptability to new platforms and technologies in the years to come. We would also determine definitively Canada’s obligations as a signatory to various international treaties governing copyright and intellectual property. |
5. Issue: Broadcasting, New Media and Telecommunications
a. Does your party intend to maintain the long-standing policy concerning ownership and effective control of Canadian cultural industries? Does that include telecommunications and if not, why?
Bloc Québécois |
Yes. We believe that lifting restrictions on foreign ownership in telecommunications and broadcasting is a danger to Canadian and Quebec culture. |
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
Yes. The Green Party considers Canada’s arts and culture sector, which includes the telecommunications industry, a key strategic sector that must be protected from foreign ownership and control. Green MPs will sponsor and support
legislation that restricts foreign ownership so that Canadians remain in control of their cultural destiny. This includes proposed updates to existing CRTC rules that might further expose Canada’s arts and culture industries and infrastructures to foreign ownership and control.
A Green Government will strengthen Canadian content rules by enacting legislation that requires cinemas and video chains to have at least 20% Canadian content, and we will promote and protect cultural diversity within Canada by ensuring that the CRTC reserves more bandwidth for independent and non-profit stations. |
Liberal Party |
The Liberal party believes that none of the elements of the Canadian broadcasting system should be sold to foreign interests. Under a Liberal government, the Canadian broadcasting system, as governed through the Broadcasting Act, will remain Canadian. In the area of telecommunications, Canadians are demanding better access to digital infrastructure with better services and better prices. We are willing to consider some foreign investments in the telecommunication sector, as long as it is clearly established that this will not harm the Canadian broadcasting system. An impact study on the Canadian broadcasting system would have to be done prior to any change in the Telecommunication Act. |
NDP |
New Democrats are in favour of maintaining the ownership rules governing Canada’s culture industries. We believe these rules are also essential for the telecommunications sector, particularly due to the high degree of vertical integration in the Canadian marketplace. |
b. Will your party support a policy to make internet and wireless service providers contribute financially to the development of Canadian content for all distribution platforms, like other distribution undertakings?
Bloc Québécois |
Yes. We believe that service providers must pay royalties to a fund to finance the production of content. |
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
The Green Party of Canada understands that the digital economy has both provided a variety of new opportunities for creative content producers while posing new challenges for the industry as a whole. Steps must be taken to ensure that creative content producers are properly remunerated for their efforts, and therefore the Green Party is committed to working with all of the interested parties to ensure a fair and equitable solution can be found. |
Liberal Party |
In an era where internet is increasingly relevant as a distribution platform, our legal and economic frameworks must be updated to reflect recent and upcoming challenges and opportunities. The Liberal party believes there is a need to revisit the role of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). We will work toward developing similarly innovative solutions to protect creators’ existing and future rights and revenue streams in a digital age. For example, a Liberal government will be open to allocating a portion of the upcoming wireless spectrum auction proceeds to fund artists and creators. |
NDP |
Just as BDUs and telecommunications carriers are required to do their part to ensure the continued vitality of Canada’s cultural sector, we believe the providers of wireless services and new so-called “over-the-top” services should also make a contribution to the system from which they will profit. We support studying measures to make this a reality. |
c. Given your party’s support for the Heritage Committee’s recommendation that the annual per capita subsidy to the CBC be raised to $40 within the framework of a long-term agreement, when do you plan to implement this recommendation and over what time frame?
Bloc Québécois |
The Bloc Québécois is asking that the Canadian government allocate stable funding to the CBC until 2015–16 to complete its five-year plan, as submitted by the Standing Committee on Heritage. This would also involve incorporating an additional annual payment of $60 million. The Bloc Québécois wants the core funding of CBC / Radio-Canada to be increased by an amount equivalent to at least $40 per Canadian and Quebecker. |
Conservative Party |
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Green Party |
Greens are committed to a vision of Canada in which highest-quality Canadian content in television and radio programming is offered in both official languages.
We will guarantee stable base funding for the CBC, starting with investments of $100 million in 2011–2012, $150 million in 2012–2013, and $$200 million in 2013–2014. |
Liberal Party |
The Harper government has made it clear through their rhetoric and harsh funding cuts that they do not value the CBC and the important role it plays in promoting Canadian content. The Liberal party recognizes the unique and crucial role that our public broadcaster play in ensuring that Canadians have access to ever more Canadian stories and Canadian content in the digital Canada of the future. That is why a Liberal government will provide the CBC/Radio-Canada with stable and predictable funding. |
NDP |
Our party unequivocally opposes further cuts to arts funding in Canada, and we are committed to maintain the CBC’s current levels of funding until Canada’s budgetary outlook improves. Public broadcasting plays an important part in the cultural life of this country and New Democrats would undertake a full review to determine the level of support needed by the CBC in the future. |
6. Issue: Canadian Heritage Institutions
a. Given your party’s support to the 2005 National Museum policy, what policies and programs is your party now proposing regarding museums and other heritage institutions?
Bloc Québécois |
In 2005, the Liberal government announced the development of a new museum policy, although the original policy dates back to 1972. The Conservatives did not follow through with this commitment and in September 2006, they cut the financial aid program for museums. For her part, Bev Oda, who was the Minister of Heritage at the time, said that it was essential to increase funding for “National Museums”.
Until it gets federal withdrawal from culture, the Bloc Québécois is asking the federal government to introduce a new museum policy in line with the current needs of museums in Quebec and Canada. In 1982, the federal government promised that the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology would be permanently relocated to Gatineau. The Bloc Québécois will pressure the government until this promise is met. |
Conservative Party |
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Green Party
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A Green Government will create a new federal Department of Tourism, separate from Heritage Canada, to coordinate all aspects of global tourism, especially global cultural and eco-tourism. We intend to attract more visitors to Canada’s
museums and share more of Canada’s museum holdings and expertise with the world. As part of our new Municipal Superfund Program, we will increase funding support for sports, cultural (museums) and recreational facilities all across Canada through base-funding at a set percentage of the federal budget. Initial commitments over the next three years are $300M for 2011-12, $300M in 2012– 13 and $300M in 2013–14. Other actions include increasing tax breaks to individuals who donate to museum foundations and other charities, removing the GST from all arts and culture products and services for Canadians and foreigners, and introducing a new national program of energy retrofits to public sector buildings such as museums. |
Liberal Party |
Sadly, Canadian museums have been neglected by the Conservative government, which has broken its promise of putting forward a new national museum strategy. The Liberal party believes our museums are deserving of the federal support necessary to ensure their survival and preserve the role they play in defending our national culture. A Liberal government will work in collaboration with the Canadian Museums Association and other stakeholders to examine every innovative, responsible and cooperative option that will help Canada’s museum sector face the challenges they are up against. |
NDP |
The 2011 New Democrat platform includes a Museums Legacy Fund which would match private donations and endowments for Canadian museums up to an annual ceiling of $25 million. |