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ADAM OLSEN -- Not only is the BC NDP failing to develop a coherent plan to capitalize on our strategic advantages, but apparently, they have buried their inaction under the rhetoric of big budget numbers

Green Party MLA, and Interim
Leader, Adam Olsen

On Monday I was hoping to get an answer to a straightforward question about the BC NDP's commitment to innovation, technology and the knowledge-based economy.

I asked the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness (Michelle Mungall) about whether three longstanding tax credits for the film industry (worth approximately $640 million) were part of the $700 million allocated to innovation in the government's own economic framework and Budget 2020.

I received a confounding response. You can see it here.

This is no small matter.

Governments around the world are aggressively positioning themselves to be at the forefront of these emerging economic sectors. We lose ground everyday British Columbia fails to develop a clear vision and strategy to position ourselves.


This has been a relatively frustrating experience to get what should be a fairly simple answer.
The reality that we're dealing with here is that when you say that there's $700 million going to technology, to include about $637 million of tax credits — which are really important actually, which are critically important to the respective sectors, which include thousands of jobs in the film industry that we should not be positioning ourselves to lose….

We need to be clear about where the money that British Columbians are sending to this government is going. We can't say….


What's at the heart of my concern, is that the BC NDP government is not only failing to develop a coherent plan to capitalize on our strategic advantages, but apparently, they have buried their inaction under the rhetoric of big budget numbers to make us all believe that they are taking action.

Either they can't (or they are choosing not to) answer how they got to a $700 million number that they themselves published in their economic framework. Let's be clear, this is their own number in an area of their budget that they claim is a key opportunity for "quality economic growth."

So yesterday (Feb 25th) I asked the Minister again.  CLICK HERE for the video link to Oral Question Period
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