Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good morning to you and to the honourable members of the committee.
My name is Barry Blake. I'm a working Canadian actor, inasmuch as that means anything these days, and I'm also here on behalf of ACTRA. I'm a national councillor of ACTRA, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists.
As a national organization, we represent some 21,000 performers working across the country in English-language recorded media. ACTRA appreciates the importance of these consultations, and we'd like to thank the committee for including us in the process. We believe it is vital to speak to you today about supporting Canadian culture.
In the nine recommendations we set out in this brief, ACTRA tackles the four questions asked by the Standing Committee on Finance in its report entitled Canada's Place in a Competitive World. We are asking the committee primarily to support the funding and federal taxation programs which are crucial for the Canadian cultural industry to remain competitive in our domestic market, as well as internationally.
We also ask that the committee support existing and new tax measures and personal tax exemptions that will benefit the skills and livelihoods of working artists and performers in Canada. I'd also like to note that the nine recommendations that ACTRA proposes in its written brief are achievable within current federal expenditures.
If English-speaking Canada is to have a rich and unique voice in media so heavily dominated by global interests, then Canadian culture must be encouraged. Since our time today is short, I'll focus on two recommendations in particular of our nine--namely, the importance of maintaining and enhancing programs and stable funding for Canadian film and television production through this government's commitment to the CTF, the Canadian Television Fund, and to the CBC.
Supporting our culture to see our stories told is not only a valid use of public funds but a good investment for Canada's economy. The Canadian film and television industry generates an annual $4.92 billion of production activity, employing over 134,000 Canadians, many of those as highly skilled professionals. According to the report on the Canadian film and television production industry, film and television works provide $2.27 billion in annual export value alone. This industry's annual growth rate from 1997 to 2002 was an average of 8.5%, compared with a 3.6% growth rate for the overall economy. Much of this growth would not be possible without funding from the federal government.
Ours is an industry that is markedly different from manufacturing and service industries. Each Canadian film or television production begins as a unique venture that must be developed and marketed as if it were a prototype. CTF funding plays an absolutely critical role in initiating this production. It is in effect seed money, and it is essential to the development of each film or television project. Stable, long-term funding for Telefilm and the Canadian Television Fund trigger substantial additional investment from the private sector. Without that incentive, most productions would never make it beyond the idea stage.
An artist's life in this country can be a struggle. We are independent contractors, small business persons, and not knowing where your next job is coming from is often made worse by wondering if projects will be supported financially at all.
Three years ago the Canadian production industry was thrown into turmoil when the government announced significant cuts to the CTF, which resulted in many quality shows being dropped or shelved. There was some relief when the fund was restored to its original level in subsequent federal budgets, but there remains a lingering concern that the CTF is vulnerable due to its temporary status.
Making the CTF permanent and increasing it to account for inflation would go a long way towards strengthening our industry. It would give artists an often elusive taste of stability and reassure Canadians that their government recognizes the importance of culture.
Drama production contributes significantly to local economies through job creation and spending throughout all of Canada. It's estimated that each dollar of government support leverages over six dollars in other types of funding. That is why we are asking the government to make a permanent commitment to contribute to the CTF in the next budget, to enhance the government's contribution to the CTF, and to include annual increases indexed to inflation.
ACTRA's written submission contains more on these and on other issues important to the growth of both the film and television industry and our cultural community. We would welcome your questions.
Thank you. Merci à tous.