Canada’s Senate Banking Subcommittee is busy hearing submissions for and against Bill C-10, controversial proposed Canadian legislation which will prevent federal tax credit allowances to television and film productions that are deemed “against public policy” or “standards.” Given the amount of damaging fallout and rage from Canada’s film, television and other creative industries that has ensued, the chief culprit, fundamentalist activist Charles McVety of Canada Family Action Coalition, was unrepentant when he appeared before them.

As well as McVety, CFAC Executive Director Brian Rushfeldt was there, arguing that the mere refusal of tax credits alone would not be enough to ‘cripple’ Canada’s creative sector, as most of Canada’s film, television and art production companies and professional associations have argued during their submissions beforehand.  Even more alarmingly, he seemed to be proposing that the Tory federal government should also cut off “subsidies, grants and incentives” to the creative sector if it didn’t meet nebulous “standards.”  Rushfeldt targeted two recent Canadian independent productions in particular, Young People F**king and The Masturbators, which he described as “smut.”

McVety was hurriedly trying to deny that his initial suggestions had led to the current C-10 controversy, and most of the Tory senators were polite to him. Not so the Liberal Opposition senators, who were ferociously opposed to the measure. McVety hit back, arguing that these aforementioned films were somehow ‘objectionable’ and claimed that the opponents of C-10 were fundie-bashing him. However, the head of the Senate Banking Subcommittee has acknowledged that current Tory Heritage Minister Josee Verner hates the bill, and wants to see it fail.

Recommended:
Gloria Galloway: “Film Tax Credits Proposal Falls Short, Evangelist Says” Globe and Mail 14.04.08: http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Not Recommended:

Canada Family Action Coalition: http://www.familyaction.org