Canadians on the hook: MP Rachael Thomas on $600M subsidy to film & movie industry

Jun 8, 2026 | 8:14 AM

A decision by Canada’s heritage minister to put $600 million towards the country’s film and movie industry to eliminate the, so called, ‘Netflix’ tax doesn’t make a lot of sense to one Alberta politician.

Conservative and Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas points out taxpayers will still have to ‘foot the bill’ regardless.

“$600 million doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s Canadians on the hook for that,” Thomas emphasized.

“To date, no further details have been given on how that money will roll out or where it will go…what benefit it will have. So, I guess, we’ll have to wait to see.”

Under the proposed plan, large TV streaming services, like Netflix, Apple, and Amazon would turn over 15 percent of their Canadian revenues to help fund Canadian content.

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The worry there was the added cost would simply be passed on to consumers.

Last Wednesday, in a statement, the federal government announced it was supporting Canadian culture and making life more affordable for Canadians, providing $600 million per year to “provide stability and immediate support to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors and to keep our culture accessible and affordable for all Canadians.”

At the same time, Minister Marc Miller also directed the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commissions (CRTC) to review its recent decision to regulate online streamers and Canadian broadcasters.

by Dave Lueneberg

Canadians on the hook: MP Rachael Thomas on $600M subsidy to film & movie industry

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