B.C.'s Premier ready to talk tax cuts for ailing film industry

VICTORIA (CP) - B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen says Premier Gordon Campbell wants to get personally involved in talks to help the province's struggling film industry. He said the premier will meet officials of the industry next week. The move comes as some companies threaten to move production to Ontario to take advantage of lower taxes. Hansen revealed Campbell's plan as he slammed an NDP demand that the province give the movie industry tax breaks amounting to about $30 million.

Hansen called it an "amazing flip flop" by NDP leader Carole James, who he said has argued until now that tax cuts don't work. He said now James is suggesting tax cuts for a specific industry instead of for general job creation.

"This is an amazing flipflop by James," Hanson said. "We have heard months of the NDP saying tax cuts don't work."

Hansen has promised the film industry that the B.C. government will have a decision on reducing taxes no later than budget day, Feb. 15, if not sooner.

© The Canadian Press, 2005