Do the Right Thing Premier: Break Your Promise
Freedom Party Leader, McKeever, Urges Against Movie Tax Credits

November 30, 2004 - Oshawa, Ontario

With Ontario's film workers preparing for a demonstration at Queen's Park on Wednesday, December 1, 2004, Freedom Party of Ontario leader Paul McKeever is urging Premier McGuinty not to increase tax credits and taxpayer funding to the industry. The Ontario Liberals have promised an increase in the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit from 20 per cent to 33 per cent. The Progressive Conservatives have joined the NDP (!) in calling upon Premier McGuinty to honour that promise. The PCs have also urged the McGuinty government to set up a one-time marketing fund and a so-called "frequent moviemaker credit".

"Premier McGuinty, I would strongly urge you to do the right thing: break your party's promise to increase taxpayer funding of the film industry", says McKeever. "A tax credit is not a tax cut: it is a subsidy. I would strongly urge Minister Sorbara to take the newly leftist tories, and their friends in the NDP, to task. I am not defending your government. But it is only fair to the public that the government level with the public about the "level tax playing field" rubbish that Mr. Tory is doling out. The long and the short of it is that Mr. Tory wants the rest of the taxpaying public to pick up some of the movie industry's share of the cost of governing this province."

Adds McKeever: "How is putting the film industry's share of the load onto everyone else's shoulders going to encourage doctors and small businesses to continue operating in Ontario?