Canadian actors on Parliament Hill for a two-day lobbying blitz are looking to engage the majority Conservative government by referring to themselves as individual small businesses.

“We’ve learned how to talk to the government. We’re speaking on behalf of 22,000 small- and medium-sized businesses that are concerned about protecting our intellectual property,” ACTRA national executive director Stephen Waddell, who represents around 22,000 domestic performers, told Playback Daily between meetings with members of Parliament and the senate on Nov. 2 and 3.

“That’s the vocabulary we’re now using. I hope it resonates with our Conservative friends, because they certainly listen to farmers and business owners,” he added.

The actors, led by ACTRA national president Ferne Downey, are addressing a range of issues surrounding Canadian content creation in a digital economy.

“We’re looking for the government and the opposition to commit to stable, long-term funding for the CBC, the National Film Board, the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada,” Waddell said.

ACTRA welcomed Ottawa in its last budget making the CMF a permanent fund and wants to see on-going certainty similarly offered to other industry funds.

The actors union also wants the feds to reinstate tax averaging over a five-year period for its members, who are freelance contractors, not permanent employees.

ACTRA members are also lobbing for U.S. digital platform imports like Netflix Canada and iTunes Canada to add to private investment for homegrown production by contributing to the CMF.

The performers contingent was led by Peter Keleghan, Fiona Reid, Angela Asher, Leah Pinsent, Jackson Davies and Grace Lynn Kung.

Photo: Shannon Jardine (Hard Core Logo 2) Grace Lynn King (InSecurity) meeting with Liberal MP Scott Simms / Photo credit: Fred Chartrand