TORONTO - Tax cuts and support for the arts can co-exist in the same election platform, Conservative Leader John Tory said Thursday as he wooed the cultural community with promises of increased funding, tax credits and new legislation.
In a bid to promote the Conservative party beyond its traditional voter base, Tory said he would be a strong supporter of the arts if elected premier, and highlighted a plan to keep the film industry from moving productions out of Toronto.
Tory vowed to change how tax credits are paid out so production companies get as much as 50 per cent of the funding before and during their work, not afterward.
"Throughout our consultations we learned from people in the film industry _ and there are many, many people from many different walks of life who depend on this important industry for their livelihood, that this one change would increase the competitiveness of our creative industries,'' he said.
The party's 12-promise plan is intended to stir creativity, recognize the economic impacts of culture, and expand audiences for the arts, Tory said.
The plan includes three-year funding commitments for arts institutions and events, and more funding to advertise the province's culture sector in Canada and abroad.
New legislation would be enacted to protect child actors, and residents would have an option to make a donation to the arts on their tax form.
Tory also said he would ask the federal government to provide tax relief to full-time artists.
The arts promises go beyond what Tory had originally committed to when he launched his campaign platform about three weeks ago.
Tory devoted one page in his 52-page campaign book to highlight seven arts pledges.
By comparison, a similar book that covers his arts platform runs 36 pages.
