Federal Election Toolkit: Plan to vote. Have your say.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

It’s no stretch to say that the stakes are high this federal election for a variety of reasons, including Canada’s cultural sovereignty.

The campaign is a chance to have your say and to engage directly with candidates and parties on the issues that matter to you.

This election finds Canada’s cultural sector without the legal and regulatory tools to ensure it can continue to make a vital contribution to Canada’s overall economic well-being.

More specifically, Canada’s copyright framework is broken and unbalanced. Unregulated development and deployment of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) presents a further threat to the livelihoods of Canadian creators and publishers, hindering the creation of a GenAI ecosystem where creators and publishers can partner with those building GenAI tools and services to mutual benefit.

We have prepared an election toolkit to support the Access Copyright community’s participation in this federal election campaign. We are calling on all parties and candidates to commit to the following:

1. Repair Canada’s Copyright Act by clarifying existing fair dealing exceptions, including for education, so that Canadian creators and publishers are fairly compensated for the use of their published works.
    
2. Develop a fair and ethical AI regulatory system in Canada that values human creation, sustains our vital cultural industries, and encourages the growth of a market for the licensing of content for GenAI purposes.

The toolkit is available here and outlines how you can get involved in the campaign, including voting, how to engage candidates running in your riding and to join in the conversation on social media. It also provides information on two events that the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is co-organizing, and which all are encouraged to participate in.

Every action you take this campaign matters. If you do only one thing, please vote.

If you need more information or help with being in touch with your local candidates, we are here to help. Contact us anytime at info@accesscopyright.ca.

As a non-partisan organization, Access Copyright does not endorse or support any party or candidate in the Federal Election.