There’s a minor controversy that’s been brewing for more than a month now that doesn’t seem to want to go away. It’s got me scratching my head. It’s this whole Telefilm Canada-Creative Artists Agency deal under which the L.A.-based talent agency will package pics for Canadian producers.

The unions representing Canadian talent oppose the deal – which is predictable and fine. It is the raison d’etre of unions to protect the best interests of members, and the deal appears to at least partially open the door to some American talent working in Canada. The Talent Agents and Managers Association of Canada has also taken exception to TFC bypassing its members and said as much in a sternly worded letter to TFC boss Richard Strusberg.

But here we are a month later and we’ve got people accepting awards at the Genies calling Stursberg out.

There seems to be a low-key but growing hysteria around the whole affair, the kind that you sometimes see when a group struggles long enough against some debilitating force. After a while the group turns on itself. The deal seems to be turning into a lightning rod – an outlet against sharp declines in production.

Ironically, the TFC-CAA deal is part of what Stursberg sees as an elixir.

But let’s step back and look at the facts. Top Canadian producers already employ big-name international and American actors whenever the opportunity arises. Rhombus Media produced Guy Maddin’s The Saddest Music in the World, starring Isabella Rossellini. Robert Lantos is in post-production with Being Julia, starring Annette Benning. Chevy Chase is in a film called Goose.

At a press conference after news of the deal broke, Stursberg was adamant that it would help mid-level and small producers also access big-name talent.

But does anyone really think this deal is going to radically change the landscape of Canadian production? At best, it will generate a couple of productions that otherwise might have never been greenlit. It might incrementally boost domestic representation at the Canadian box office a few points closer to TFC’s mandate of 5%.

What really has me scratching my head, though, is how Telefilm has handled the controversy. First off, despite the fact that TFC is funded by taxpayer dollars, Stursberg steadfastly refuses to divulge how much money Canada is paying CAA. Second, there has been an arrogance to the affair, initially in the secrecy surrounding the deal and in TFC’s refusal to consult with ACTRA or the WGC; then later, to seriously consider and thoughtfully respond to the unions’ concerns. It’s a simple public relations exercise that seems to have gone awry.

One message is clear, however. Where the deal can benefit Canadian features is in attracting Canadian stars back home.

I have long taken issue with the notion that English Canada lacks a true star system. Whenever the subject comes up, I point out that, as a matter of fact, English Canada boasts many of the biggest and brightest stars working today: Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Sarah Polley, Eric McCormack, Elisha Cuthbert and Matthew Perry. English Canada’s problem is not a lack of big-name stars, but the resources to keep them working in Canada.

If the TFC-CAA deal helps put some of that star power back into Canadian productions, how is that a bad thing?