This past weekend, Premier Christy Clark has been facing the heat from the B.C. television and production industry and rightfully so as the premier has ignored the pleas of the industry to match Ontario’s tax credits.
This is Premier Clark’s response on her Official Facebook Page:
The film, television and digital media industries play an important role in B.C.’s economy.
Despite a challenging fiscal climate, the Province continues to make significant investments to support these industries through more than $200 million in tax credits, development program funding, funding film festivals, and through supporting projects like the new Centre for Digital Media and the Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation.
Thank you to everyone for your comments and feedback. If you want to learn more about how we are supporting these important industries, please write me at [email protected].
Naturally this response did not sit well with folks in the industry as it does not address the issue of tax incentives. The action required is quite simple, match the tax credits or see the industry continue to choose Toronto over Vancouver.
Now, many will say that the premier should avoid a race to the bottom and that is a valid point that needs to be addressed; however, 25,000 jobs are at stake here. Large productions also have a lot of economic spinoffs for the city and province they are shot in. From craft services to hotels, the pinch is being felt.
To learn more about the petition, check out our previous post Save BC Film.
Image: Yahoo
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