NDP would increase CBC funding and close the tax loophole that enriches foreign online media

Toronto – Speaking Sunday during a telephone town hall with supporters of FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh promised an NDP government would increase CBC funding to $50 person per year. To protect Canadian journalism, he also pledged to close the tax loophole that rewards Canadian companies for advertising on foreign online media like Facebook and Google.

Singh told the audience:

“CBC is a public broadcaster and it tells very important stories and its journalism is a high quality and something that Canadians need. So our position is we need to fund it. I've come forward with our commitment, which has increased our per capita funding from $34 a year or per person per year to $50 per person per year.”

Concerning the deductibility of advertising expenses on foreign online media, Singh said:

“We think it's completely unfair that there is a loophole that allows essentially a massive advantage to be given to advertising with the web giants with the social media platforms. That to me makes no sense and it disadvantages Canadian media. Effectively, Mr. Trudeau and the liberal government have been subsidizing the digital platforms and digital platforms that are, that are international foreign digital platforms. That is wrong. We would end that immediately.”

A recording of the event is available here: https://youtu.be/KmFLXS3cScU

Almost 6,000 people participated in the town hall, a record number for a political event of this nature in Canada.

“We are delighted that Mr. Singh has spelled out very clearly his commitment to public broadcasting and that he agrees the special treatment enjoyed by Big Tech must end,” says Daniel Bernhard, Executive Director of FRIENDS.

FRIENDS has invited all of the major party leaders to participate in its Leaders Series 2019. Elizabeth May is booked to participate in the next town hall on Saturday, September 28 from 4 pm to 5 pm EDT.

To date, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer have not responded to multiple invitations.

FRIENDS is a non-partisan watchdog for Canadian public broadcasting, storytelling and journalism, and is not affiliated with any broadcaster.

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For information: Jim Thompson [email protected] 613-447-9592