this does not bode well...

BAD: That the Federal Conservative government is proposing a form of arbitrary censorship of the film and television industry.

WORSE: That evangelical crusader Charles McVety is claiming he's behind the whole thing.

A choice quote from the Globe and Mail article published in today's paper:

"Mr. McVety said films promoting homosexuality, graphic sex or violence should not receive tax dollars, and backbench Conservative MPs and cabinet ministers support his campaign."

The italics are mine. And seriously, what's with the chronic conservative fixation on things that "promote homosexuality"? I'm pretty sure homosexuals aren't actively recruiting, so the idea that gay stories somehow endanger society, or risk eroding the fragile morality of the average young Canadian is pretty far-fetched.

Below is a further excerpt from the Globe article, this time a direct quote from Conservative MP for Palliser (Saskatchewan) David Batters, who is an associate member of the Canadian Heritage Committee :

"In my mind, sir, and in the minds of many of my colleagues and many, many Canadians," said Mr. Batters during a Jan. 31 meeting of the Canadian Heritage committee, "the purpose of Telefilm is to help facilitate the making of films for mainstream Canadian society - films that Canadians can sit down and watch with their families in living rooms across this great country."

Oh really? Is Telefilm Canada now the funding arm of Blockbuster Video?

Is it a bad time to remind the conservative pundits the reason why we typically label Canada a democracy and not an oligarchy? Oh right, it's because all people, even artists, are entitled to express their beliefs and share their stories without fear of censorship or state persecution, as opposed to living under the constant surveillance of a small committee of moral and cultural arbiters, which appears to be the preferred option of Mr. McVety and the Conservative Party policy makers.

Just imagine what a majority would be like...