OTTAWA – Yesterday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated that his government is willing to explore allowing more foreign investment/ownership in Canada.
Today, actors union ACTRA called the “plans to relax foreign ownership and cuts to culture funding are culturally and economically irresponsible,” in a press release.
“Canada’s cultural industries indirectly contributes $85 billion, and over one million jobs to the Canadian economy. To put an industry that plays such a vital role in Canada’s economy at risk is fiscally irresponsible,” said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s national executive director, in the release.
“Mr. Harper’s call to relax foreign ownership rules could allow U.S. companies to scoop up Canadian broadcasters and result in even less commitment to Canadian programming,” added Waddell. “We have seen what has happened to Canada’s manufacturing industry as plants have been bought-out by foreign interests. Workers’ jobs disappear as production moves elsewhere. It will be no different if our broadcasters are allowed to be bought out by the Americans. We’ll no longer have any Canadian production and Canadian stories will be completely squeezed off the air.”
Of course, culture is a small part of the Canadian economy so none of the reporters covering the election yesterday directly queried the campaigning Prime Minister for specifics.
In Halifax today, however, Harper was clearer
According to this afternoon’s CAB Update, when asked whether a Conservative government would allow more foreign ownership of Canada’s banks and telecommunications (broadcasting) companies, he said his government is aware of those recommendations from the Wilson Competition Review Panel but is not prepared to proceed with them because “we don’t believe the market is ready for them at this time.”
