The federal government needs to keep a tight control on foreign ownership to stay competitive in the global marketplace and to protect Canadian culture, says a group of five of Quebec’s largest associations representing film, TV and music producers.

The group sounded the alarm bell about Canada’s cultural sovereignty in a report it submitted recently to the Competition Policy Review Panel, set up by the Conservative government in July to review competition law and Canada’s foreign investment rules, particularly in the telecom, banking and culture industries. The panel is headed by former Bell Canada CEO Lynton Wilson.

‘The vitality of Quebec production and the success of our songs, films and TV series illustrates the competitiveness of our sector. And this success is due to public support and existing regulations,’ says the group, which includes the APFTQ, the AQTIS and SARTEC. ‘If we open up the industry to more foreign control it won’t increase our competitiveness, it will simply mean broadcasters and telecommunications companies will diffuse content that’s not made here.’

‘There are controls on foreign ownership. We want the status quo to remain in place. It’s changing current policy that we see as dangerous. We are not selling the same products as other sectors,’ APFTQ spokesperson Céline Pelletier tells Playback Daily. Pelletier says her group has received assurances from federal Heritage Minister Josée Verner that current foreign ownership regulations will stay in place for the duration of the current government’s mandate.

The panel will make their recommendations to the Justice Department in June.

ACTRA and the Writers Guild of Canada filed similar remarks last week, calling on the government to put culture ahead of the market and warning against the removal of cultural protections.