Majority (52%) Says It's `Wrong' For Government To Deny Film Tax Credits Based On Content

Ottawa, ON - A majority (52%) of Canadians believe that it would be wrong for the government to screen the content of films and either approve or deny tax credits based on whether or not they deem it to be offensive or `contrary to public policy', according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CanWest News Service and Global Television.

The Harper government has recently proposed that it would allow the Heritage Minister or a government committee to review the film content and either deny or apply tax credit requests based on their determination.

In the alternate, a minority (45%) of Canadians believe it's right for the government to screen the content of films and either approve or deny tax credits because it ultimately involves taxpayer's money and they have the right to determine what's in the public interest.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television from June 10 to June 12, 2008. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1002 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Canada been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

Majority (52%) Says It's Wrong for the Government to Deny Film Tax Credits Based on Content...

A majority (52%) believes that it would be `wrong for the government to screen the content of films and either approve or deny tax credits because it's really censorship based on the ideology of the party in power' and that `they have no right determining whether the content is in the public interest'. Furthermore, they believe that these actions would `hurt the film industry's development in Canada'.

• British Columbians (62%) are most likely to say that the government is `wrong' to be interfering in such a way, followed by those living in Alberta (57%), Atlantic Canada (54%), Ontario (52%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (47%) and Quebec (46%).
• Younger Canadians (60%), aged 18 to 34, are the most likely age cohort to say that the government is `wrong' to censor content by refusing tax credits, followed by middle-aged (54%), aged 35 to 54, and Canadians over the age of 54 (44%).
• Men (55%) are more likely to disagree with this type of government action than are women (49%).
• Canadians in an urban setting (54%) are more likely than those in rural dwellings (43%) to say that it's wrong for the government to be involved in this manner.
• Those with a university education are more likely to adopt this stance (58%) than those with some postsecondary education (57%), only a high school diploma (49%) or no diploma at all (39%).

Minority (45%) Agrees With Government, Says Tax Dollars and Public Interest at Stake...

Adopting the government's position on this issue, a minority (45%) of Canadians are closer to the opinion that `it's right for the government to screen the content of films and either approve or deny tax credits because it ultimately involves taxpayer's money and they have the right to determine what's in the public interest, and if the film companies don't like it they can seek funding elsewhere'.

• A majority (51%) of Quebecers agree with the government's proposal, and one half of residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (50%) say the same. However, only a minority of Ontarians (44%), Atlantic Canadians (43%), Albertans (41%) and British Columbians (36%) believe the government should be involved in this manner.
• Older Canadians (53%) are much more likely than middle-aged (44%) and younger Canadians (37%) to suggest the government is `right' to refuse tax credits based on the content of the films seeking the credit.
• Women (48%) are more likely than men (41%) to say the government is `right' to be withholding tax credits based on the content of the films.
• A majority (54%) of rural Canadians agree with this position, while significantly fewer (42%) Canadians living in cities would say the same.
• A majority (56%) of those without a high school diploma have adopted the government's position, while a minority of those with a high school diploma (46%), some postsecondary education (41%) or a university degree (38%) have also done so.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

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Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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