Sarah Polley Takes on the Senate

Sarah Polley Senate Tax C10Canadian sweetheart, Sarah Polley, best known for her roles in The Road to Avonlea, The Sweet Hereafter and her directorial debut, Away From Her, has jumped in full force behind squashing Bill C-10.

Bill C-10, a tax bill amendment, has already been endorsed by the House of Commons, the controversial clause being passed unnoticed. The legislation would allow a federal cabinet minister to revoke tax credits for film and television productions deemed too racy. It now lies in the hands of the Senate.

“I think ultimately that’s the cost of freedom of expression. We’re all going to see things we don’t like. I see movies that I don’t like. I see things that offend me politically. I see things that offend me morally,” Polley told a Senate committee.

“I choose to debate them, to have a dialogue about them or to turn away from them, not to say that they shouldn’t be allowed to exist and certainly not to give that power to the minister,” she said.

“Part of the responsibility of being an artist is to create work that will inspire dialogue, suggest that people examine their long-held positions and, yes, occasionally offend,” she said. “Any whiff of censorship is chilling to us.”

What impact would a bill like this have on Canadian productions, many of which are heavily subsidized or solely financed by the Canadian Government?

Each day the Canadian culture is threatened to be swallowed up whole by big brother America. In my opinion, Canadian productions should not only continue to be financed by the government without the gag order, they should be proudly showcased and prized as any other truly Canadian art medium would be.

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April 12, 2008 | Filed Under General, Movie News 
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Comments

2 Responses to “Sarah Polley Takes on the Senate”

  1. Dove on April 12th, 2008 10:56 pm

    This is indirect censorship and I can see why Polley is taking up the gauntlet as I hope others will. It annoys me no end that people whine about a movie or TV program they, don’t like, don’t enjoy, or get offended by. Change channels for crying out loud, it’s that simple, just don’t watch it. To give that sort of ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ power to a government minister would be a tragedy.

  2. Jax on April 13th, 2008 1:00 am

    So true Dove. Good Point.

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