Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services Releases Report on Budget 2019 Consultation

The all-party Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released its unanimous report on the Budget 2019 Consultation on November 15.

The report presents a comprehensive and detailed summary of ideas shared by British Columbians for the next provincial budget, with the Committee making 100 recommendations to address key sectoral and economic priorities, including tourism, arts and culture.

“The committee appreciates the opportunity to hear from British Columbians about issues that matter most to them,” said committee chair Bob D'Eith. “A number of significant themes emerged and shaped our recommendations, including the importance of taking meaningful steps toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and of adopting measures to address inequality.”

The report, which is available here, includes the outcomes of consultations with arts and culture groups on subjects including funding, the creative industries, publishing credits, and digital media and film. The section of the report pertaining to tourism, arts and culture, which can be found at pp.69-72, culminates in the following recommendations.

88. Continue to increase funding to the B.C. Arts Council.

89. Support BC’s creative industries by increasing funding to Creative B.C., including a multi-year commitment to the Amplify B.C. program; by maintaining existing tax credits for production and post-production services, film, digital animation, visual effects, digital media and book publishing; and by targeting initiatives at all levels of education to grow the sector.

For more information on the report, and how it was created, click here. Read the full report here.