August 22, 2023

Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Budget

The Association of Canadian Publishers’ Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Budget makes the following three recommendations:

  • Implement the previous Minister of Canadian Heritage’s mandate letter commitment to support Canadian authors and book publishers by increasing funding for the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts on a permanent basis.
  • Implement market-based solutions that encourage fair remuneration of rights-holders for use of copyright protected work through reform of the Copyright Act. As committed in Budget 2022, ensure that the Act protects all creators and copyright holders, and that the educational publishing industry is sustainable.
  • Enforce the Revised Foreign Investment Policy in Book Publishing and Distribution, with more meaningful assessment of “net benefit to Canada.” Keep our book industry Canadian and put Canadian-owned publishers first.

Canadian publishers continue to invest in new authors reflective of Canada’s diversity, experimenting with innovative and inclusive marketing strategies, and reimagining the way we do business within Canada and internationally. However, federal investment in book publishing has not kept pace with the needs of an evolving industry, or with investment in other arts and culture sectors. The policy framework that underpins our sector does not address current marketplace realities, and in some cases actively undermines the sector, leaving independent Canadian publishers at a disadvantage in our own market.