Liberal senators say they will strip from a controversial income-tax bill the sections that would empower the Heritage Minister to deny tax credits to film and television productions she deems too violent or pornographic.
Senators Francis Fox and Wilfred Moore announced at a press conference yesterday morning that they will try to amend Bill C-10 to say the tax credits would be refused only when content of the films or shows violates the Criminal Code.
They would also give producers an avenue for appeal if the minister blocks or delays the funding. And they would ensure that the government continues to bar the tax credits to material that is pornographic or hate propaganda.
"The plan is to get [the amendments]out to the industry and see what feedback we get from the industry. And I would say we will introduce them when we return in the fall," Mr. Moore said.
For her part, Heritage Minister Josée Verner did not dismiss the proposed changes out of hand, even though the vote on the bill in the House had been a confidence measure.
"We look forward to seeing the amendments," Kassandra Albert, one of her communication assistants, said yesterday in an e-mail.
Nor did Conservative Senator David Tkachuk, who has defended the bill during the many hours it has been before the Senate banking committee, offer an immediate rejection of the Liberal intentions.
"I am glad we've finally seen amendments. I am kind of hoping that we've stirred the pot a little bit and that we've got something on paper," said Mr. Tkachuk.
But, he added, he would not like to see the bill dragged out to the late fall. "The first week we're back, there's no reason why we can't deal with it," said Mr. Tkachuk. "There are some problems with the bill but there is a heck of a lot of positive things in the bill."
Many witnesses have argued that the tax credits provide essential leverage for financing and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to persuade banks to fund their productions if the credits could be withheld.
Ms. Verner has said she will ask the entertainment industry to help craft guidelines to govern what material no longer qualifies for tax credits.
Representatives of the industry have uniformly rejected that offer.
Stephen Waddell, national executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) said his group wants to study what was proposed yesterday by the Liberals.
"But, on its face, we welcome the amendments that the Liberal senators have presented," Mr. Waddell said. "They appear to be helpful in terms of alleviating the concerns of our organization, and I think the production community in general...."
Guy Mayson, the president of the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association, said he felt the industry has been heard.
Mr. Mayson said he is "looking forward to working with the government and trying to ... amend the legislation in the fall and bringing some certainty back to the tax credit environment."
And Toronto Mayor David Miller, who appeared before the committee earlier this month, applauded the package of proposed amendments.
"As proposed, the bill would do serious damage to the industry which employs tens of thousands of people in Toronto and hundreds of thousands across the country," Mayor Miller said.
"This industry is one of incredible importance and its artistic and financial success is dependent upon the industry's ability to work in the field where the boundaries are well-defined and free of political interference or censorship."