Liberals move forward for culture

October 1, 2019

MONTRÉAL (QC) — A re-elected Liberal government will continue to protect and grow our cultural and creative industries, and make sure more people have access to our culture.
Whether it’s the writers who tell our stories, the comedians who make us laugh, or the artists who give us the soundtrack to our lives, Canadians are proud of the creativity we share – here at home and with the rest of the world. Meanwhile, to help bring people together, it’s vital that we preserve Canadian heritage by protecting and maintaining the places that have marked our country’s history.

“Culture is on the investment list for the Liberal Party. For the Conservatives, it’s on the list of things to cut,” said Pablo Rodriguez, the Liberal candidate for Honoré–Mercier. “Culture is who we are – past, present, and future. A Liberal government will always protect and promote culture and our official languages.”

  • To make sure more people have access to Canadian culture, at home and around the world, and to make sure our artists can keep telling our stories, we will:
    create the Culture Pass, a $200 credit that every kid will receive at age 12, to be used to discover local Canadian content;
  • continue to support Canadian film by increasing annual funding for Telefilm Canada by nearly 50 per cent a year;
  • 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;
  • introduce a new Cultural Diplomacy strategy, with at least one international mission each year to promote our culture and creators around the world; and
  • move forward, in our first year, with legislation 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 on their platforms.

“Our cultural industry is at a crossroads, and it just can’t afford a Conservative mandate,” said Annie Talbot, the Liberal candidate for Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier. “It’s 2019, but our main culture and communications laws are still from before the internet. The work Janet Yale and her team are doing to examine these laws is essential. We’re looking forward to reading her final report, and if Canadians give us another mandate, we’ll quickly take the necessary measures once the report is delivered.”

“I’m deeply proud to be part of a team that stood up to the Trump administration during the NAFTA negotiations to save the cultural exemption. Meanwhile, Andrew Scheer asked the government to make concessions to get a deal more quickly,” said Geneviève Hinse, the Liberal candidate for Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie. “You can be certain that a re-elected Liberal government will keep standing up for culture.”

Background: Arts and Culture