With the federal budget looming [expected March 29] and the government in deficit-slashing mode, Magazines Canada has scribed a letter [signed by its chair Deborah Morrison] to Canadian MPs to stand behind the Canadian Periodical Fund, while praising the "streamlining and modernization" of programs supporting cultural industries under the leadership of Heritage Minister James Moore.

The letter justifies public subsidies going to large publishing companies, which some MPs have apparently been critical of:

"Some of Canada’s most popular magazines are published by large companies. The Canada Periodical Fund caps the level of support that goes to large circulation magazines and the levels of support are not based on ownership but on consumer choice. Criticizing our leading companies and governments for utilizing taxpayer dollars to achieve policy goals is a well-travelled road in this country, and it’s unfortunate. Some U.S. publishing companies are larger than Canada’s entire magazine publishing sector and U.S. magazines dominate newsstands across Canada. This does not just affect the availability of Canadian content. It affects Canadian commerce. Canadian businesses, in every sector, advertise their products and services in Canadian trade and consumer magazines. When consumers choose a foreign magazine and make purchasing decisions, they may end up bypassing Canadian suppliers for foreign ones."

The letter also describes how a healthy cultural sector contributes to a healthy economy — "Canada’s cultural industries, including its magazines, are a job creation and economic growth engine. Some 630,000 people work in our cultural sector, representing $46 billion to the Canadian economy. When it comes to stimulating employment and economic growth, looking to the cultural sector is good public policy."

To view the entire letter from Magazines Canada in PDF format, click here.