Rick Mercer: From the Desk of Stephen Harper

Rick Mercer: From the Desk of Stephen Harper

Is parody legal in Canada? Watch out Rick Mercer.

This is a "beauty," eh?

Update 1:

But is this comedy or a comic reality?

No tax guidelines, no worries, right?

The Toronto Star's Martin Knelman on the to be tabled Guidelines that took 8 years to make ... that were evidently shown to someone to start this chain of what I would call an unintended exposure, that now evidently do not exist.

Update 2:

The Globe and Mail story that appears to have the scoop on the Guidelines states they exist.

Tories plan to withhold funding for 'offensive' productions

GAYLE MACDONALD

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

February 28, 2008 at 2:07 AM EST

"The Conservative government has drafted guidelines that would allow it to pull financial aid for any film or television show that it deems offensive or not in the public's best interest – even if government agencies have invested in them."

...

What started this? Would you believe Paul and Karla.

News is that this was put in by the Liberals to block funding of a film on Karla Homolka, that itself might have been an over reaction. Like should we censor sh-t like that? I would not pay for it but maybe there is something there in a biopic that the media and court tales missed? I have no sympathy for her what so ever but it is a story that blanketed the media for what 6 months? I think if I recall correctly the families lawyer, Tim Danson, acting pro-bono, worked this line against the exploitation of the victims in any film. Maybe the right law instead should have been like any proceeds due a crook from crook tales should be property of the state, i..e. effective proceeds of crime legislation. That in itself raises all kind of issues like a victim's right to privacy i.e. they are not a public figure and the use of their private image, etc. would be a violation of their privacy rights, subject to something along the lines of defamation and infringement of their right to exploit their own image i.e. right's normally obtained in the movie biz obtained before filming to prevent this kind of action. The US law might be helpful here. So might an extension to cover a murder victim, who has no estate interest. Why not give that estate an interest? You want to exploit the murder of my child? I will own you unless you pay me x,y,z. or no money will make up for the horror of this event to my life and your money is not worth anything to me or what I could use it for in their honour i.e. forget about it. The victim should have a choice. Not censorship. A private legal remedy fixed to an appropriate statute could solve it all.