QUESTION #4
With insurers refusing to extend insurance to domestic film production for COVID-related closures or stoppages, the Government of Canada created the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) to ensure Canadian audiovisual productions could continue shooting. Did your party support this program, and does it support an extension of the program through December 2022?
Bloc Québécois:
In February 2021, the government extended the Fund to 2021 2022 and doubled the funding to $100 million, so that during the peak production period of spring and summer this year, filmmakers and producers have access to this critical safety net, reducing the financial risk to productions in the midst of COVID 19 closures. In voting for the last government’s budget, we supported this assistance and will continue to support it as long as it is needed.
Conservative Party of Canada:
Did not respond in the ‘Q&A” format provided. Please click here for full response.
Green Party of Canada:
This question requires more research than time allows. That said, the GPC strongly advocates for structural measures to strengthen our audio-visual production sector including taxation and regulation of foreign streaming services and increased investment in federal agencies including the Canadian Media Fund, Teleflim Canada and the CBC/Radio Canada.
Liberal Party of Canada:
- We are fully supportive of extending this program through December 2022. The Liberal Party created this program in 2020, with a budget of $50M initially. We then increased the budget to $149M.
- As of spring 2021, the STCF had enabled a production volume of roughly $1.2 billion.
- The government is a key partner in ensuring that productions can restart safely – that is why we are committed to increasing the budget to support 150,000 Canadian jobs.
New Democratic Party:
Yes, and yes.