SUPPLEMENTARY OPINION - NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA
The
New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) would like to begin by expressing its strong
appreciation and sincere thanks to all of the witnesses who gave of their
precious time to make this study possible. There is no doubt that it is a
significant and essential milestone in parliamentarians’ reflections on
Canada’s film industry. The technologies that Quebeckers and Canadians more
generally have been using to access the movies they watch has been changing
very quickly since the previous study on this subject during the 38th Parliament.
There
could not be a more critical time to maintain the Government of Canada’s
support for the film industry, both in Quebec and in the rest of Canada. Global
competition can be exceptionally harsh. For that reason, with the international
success experienced by many Canadian directors – Atom Egoyan, Xavier Dolan,
David Cronenberg, Denis Villeneuve and Jean‑Marc Vallée among them –
public support for this industry is more important than ever. The same holds
true for our artists who work behind the camera. Canadian technical expertise
is recognized around the world, and we can take great pride in this.
We
wish to recall that the substance of the NDP’s supplementary opinion builds on
this major study carried out during the 38th Parliament.
Many witnesses took the opportunity to draw
attention to the important work that Telefilm Canada is doing to support our
creative people and to ensure they have the support they need to bring their
ideas to fruition. The NDP is in full agreement with this line of thinking,
and we salute the entire Telefilm Canada team for their unceasing efforts to promote
our culture.
A number of witnesses recommended that the
budget cuts to Telefilm Canada be reversed and that its parliamentary
appropriations be restored to the level they were at in 2012.
With the rapid changes in the digital world,
it is reassuring and exciting to see that our public agencies, such as Telefilm
Canada, are able to reinvent themselves and create innovative avenues for the
production, distribution and dissemination of Canadian works in a context of
budget cuts, as Marie Collin of the AQPM pointed out.
The NDP therefore feels strongly that the
virtually unanimous opinion of the witnesses regarding Telefilm Canada should be
reflected in this report.
The NDP would also
like to raise a systemic issue that is closely tied to the proliferation of new
dissemination platforms.
The Canadian public
and parliamentarians know that, in order for public policy to be effective and
well thought out, it needs to be developed on the basis of the most up-to-date
and complete facts, data and statistics.
For this reason, the
NDP fully supports the recommendation made by Carolle Brabant of Telefilm
Canada, who argued that it is vital for over‑the‑top services to be
able to do what traditional platforms and media do, namely, provide government
authorities with detailed information about their services, such as consumers’
habits, the Canadian films available, the revenues generated and the costs associated
with such services.
This information is
essential if we are to have a better idea of the dissemination landscape in
Canada. It can also be helpful in shaping public policy to better reflect this
new environment.
The NDP has been very
sensitive to the position set forth by the Union des Artistes (UDA) with regard
to the critical situation that the dubbing industry is facing in Quebec.
The NDP commends the
important and meaningful efforts that UDA members have been obliged to make in
agreeing to a substantial decrease in their fees in order to remain competitive
in the global French‑language dubbing market. This clearly extraordinary
situation should not diminish or obscure the fact that public stakeholders must
keep a close watch on this segment of the film industry.
The NDP is therefore
pleased that the report refers to the UDA’s position in the recommendations
made in this report.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the public broadcaster plays a central
role in efforts to make the public aware of all that Quebec and Canadian films
have to offer. Its role is essential. CBC/Radio-Canada must receive the
resources it needs to fulfil its mandate under the Broadcasting Act.
The NDP would like the public broadcaster to have sufficient resources to
continue and expand its vital role as the preferred distributor for Canadian
films. The CBC should serve as a showcase of excellence for our talent, both in
front of and behind the camera, in both official languages, and maintain its
position as a true leader in the integration of Canadian content into the new
digital platforms.