Interesting story over at CTV on the proposed bill to end tax credits for creative endeavors the (Not your fathers) Conservative Religion Party disapprove of. Can you trust a party with your tax dollars when they don’t even know, nor do they care to find out, what they are disapproving of and defunding?
“I don’t know what the contents of the movie are, but certainly the title would suggest that it’s something that generally taxpayers would not be too damned enthused about having their money put into its production,” said Opposition Leader Bob Runciman.
I don’t know anything about it but feel perfectly entitled cast judgment anyway. How typically right wing.
Further to that, not only do they not know, they will fire anyone who gives the impression they are trying to inform themselves.
A special screening in Ottawa was well-attended by opposition MPs, although no Conservative members showed up. A staffer for Cambridge Conservative MP Gary Goodyear was fired for reserving a ticket in his name without permission.
McGuinty while also unfamiliar with the film recognizes the dangers in government interference in artistic endeavor.
“I just think there’s trouble down that path if we start making those calls as elected officials when it comes to what has and does not have artistic merit.”
snip
“I just don’t think we politicians should be getting into lending a shape to building designs, what poetry is acceptable and not, and what movies are acceptable and not,” he added.
Great write up on this movie over at cinematical.com
Wow. That comment by Runciman a 21st-century update of the famous ruling by Justice Potter Stewart in an obscenity trial when he said that he couldn’t define obscenity but “I know it when I see it.”
Anyway, it doesn’t matter if this film loses funding or not. A few more quotes like that from Conservative politicians and artists will stop risking it altogether. Start threatening to pull funding for obscenity and artists start to self-censor. The law never even needs to be enforced.
@Catchfire –
self-censor and perhaps not bother. Can statue draping and book removals be far behind?
Happily, Roger Ebert was talking about the film on his blog recently, and after the huge response he got he now says that he plans to review it.
@Jennifer Smith –
Interesting! Thanks for the link