Thursday, February 28, 2008

Canadian Tories Plan to Withhold Funding for 'Offensive' Productions

The federal Conservative government of Canada has tabled a proposal that would allow it to pull financial aid for any film or television show that it deems offensive or not in the public's best interest – even if government agencies have invested in them.

The proposed changes to the Income Tax Act would allow the Heritage Minister to deny tax credits to projects deemed offensive, effectively killing the productions. Representatives from Heritage and the Department of Justice will determine which shows or films pass the test.

Game and talk shows, news, sports, reality television and pornography are already excluded from access to the tax credits. The proposed prohibition would cover a sweeping range of material, such as anything of an explicit sexual nature, that denigrates a group or is excessively violent without an educational value.

"Bill C-10, contains an amendment to the Income Tax Act which would allow the Minister of Canadian Heritage to deny eligibility to tax credits of productions determined to be contrary to public policy," a spokesman for Canadian Heritage said in a statement.

Is it me or does this sound a lot like censorship?

Read the story from The Globe and Mail

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