The federal government unveiled a $595-million package over five years to help Canada’s media sector, including measures to facilitate fundraising by non-profit news organizations and tax breaks to fund the production of original content.
In addition, the government is proposing a temporary 15 per cent tax credit for Canadians on online subscriptions to some media outlets.
The federal government said it wants to assist Canada’s news industry, which is struggling to adapt to new media consumption habits and the migration of advertisers toward foreign digital platforms. In a speech in the House, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the goal is to “protect the vital role that independent news media play in our democracy and in our communities.”
The issue of federal funding for news organizations has divided Canada’s media community and sparked heated political debate, with the Conservatives arguing new funding to the media should not be awarded in an election year.
“The media should be independent from the government,” Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said. “We should not have a situation where the government picks a panel that then decides who gets to report the news. That is very dangerous.”
