What is the issue?
Each year, the federal government invites the Canadian public to express their priorities for the upcoming federal budget. This consultation is run through the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Budget suggestions may take the form of legislative change, policy change, and/or funding change.
What TWUC is doing
Based on our advocacy activity over the past year, TWUC has focussed on three suggestions for 2025:
Recommendation 1: That the government provide additional annual funding in the amount of $15 million for the Public Lending Right program, bringing the program’s budget to $30 million annually. This should be in the form of a directed allocation to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Recommendation 2: That the government immediately amend the Copyright Act to repair the damage to the cultural economy from unregulated educational copying of published works.
Recommendation 3: That the government declare public-funding grants for cultural work tax-exempt.
TWUC has done a great deal of work to track income trajectories for authors, both over the long term and in the immediate fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. TWUC regularly submits a brief to the Pre-Budget consultation that outlines and explains our priority items.
What you can do
Please consider writing to your Member of Parliament in support of TWUC’s Pre-Budget Priorities. Send our brief along with your note — either download the PDF below or simply include the link.
Further reading
Stronger Together
TWUC’s advocacy is most effective as the collective voice of Canada’s professional authors. We are stronger together. If you are not already a member of TWUC and are working as a writer, consider joining the Union. If you wish to support TWUC’s advocacy outside of membership, consider donating to the Union.
TWUC’s advocacy is most effective as the collective voice of Canada’s professional authors. We are stronger together. If you are not already a member of TWUC and are working as a writer, consider joining the Union. If you wish to support TWUC’s advocacy outside of membership, consider donating to the Union.
