As with any ministry, it’s the minister that is ultimately responsible for the actions of the department. That’s what’s so shocking about this bill, is that it doesn’t even attempt to create a non-partisan, at arm’s length division for doling out funding.

Here is an actual quote from the ACTUAL BILL C-10 (the current one; not the ghosts of C-10s past…)

Uh, before I forget, link here. Scroll down to subsection 125.4.

“(16) Subsection (3) applies in respect of film or video productions in respect of which certificates are issued by the Minister of Canadian Heritage after December 20, 2002, except that, in respect of those film or video productions in respect of which certificates are issued by the Minister of Canadian Heritage before 2004, the definition “Canadian film or video production certificate” in subsection 125.4(1) of the Act, as enacted by subsection (3), is to be read as follows:

“Canadian film or video production certificate” means a certificate issued in respect of a production by the Minister of Canadian Heritage

(a) certifying that the production is a Canadian film or video production in respect of which that Minister is satisfied that

(i) except where the production is a treaty co-production (as defined by regulation), an acceptable share of revenues from the exploitation of the production in non-Canadian markets is, under the terms of any agreement, retained by

(A) a qualified corporation that owns or owned an interest in, or for civil law a right in, the production,

(B) a prescribed taxable Canadian corporation related to the qualified corporation, or

(C) any combination of corporations described in clause (A) or (B), and

(ii) public financial support of the production would not be contrary to public policy; and

(b) estimating amounts relevant for the purpose of determining the amount deemed under subsection (3) to have been paid in respect of the production.

Blah x3.

No mention of CAVCO, though I realize in practice that the minister probably isn’t going to review everything him/herself personally. BUT THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE MINISTER, ACCORDING TO THIS BILL.

That’s complete BS. Because something doesn’t trumpet the praises of America while they talk about Saskatchewan grain elevators, they are anti-American? I see you are familiar with hyperbole, and how to use it when BS’ing someone.

“You, and now Coyote, want to convince yourselves that government is approving all creative products and thereby acting as censors.”
So now if a single politician [yes the bill says the Minister of Heritage] feels squeamish about a proposed film, they can kill the government funding. That’s not hyperbole, and it is censorship.

“There is nothing wrong with grants to cultural organizations or to individuals wishing to create something. I never said that and never will.”

Yes you have said that. You say frequently, and in this discussion even, about killing Canada’s best cultural and information media [aside from the Internet] — the CBC.

Oh yes…I do recall Mr. Harper did make an unelected official or two into ministers of something or others!

That’s why C-10 in the link isn’t the right one :-) The link oddly enough did start to work again, I don’t know why it went down.

And yes, they have been accused of sneaking this one in the back door as an amendment to the bill.

“And where did you get the idea that only “one elected official” is going to be making these decisions?”
Yeah? That’s a pretty generous statement, given that Ministers don’t even have to be elected officials. ;-)

“Bill C-10, currently at third reading in the Senate, contains an amendment to the Income Tax Act which would allow the Minister of Canadian Heritage to deny eligibility to tax credits of productions determined to be contrary to public policy,” Charles Drouin, spokesman for Canadian Heritage said in a statement.

The quote is from this Globe and Mail article here.