Have-not Ontario tosses tasty nibbles to book publishers

Ontario's pulverized manufacturing sector may have turned that province into a welfare case, but this has not stopped its government from helping book publishers and other sectors of the cultural industry. On Thursday, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced that he will enhance the refundable tax credit to publishers and other arts organizations. In all, Ontario will provide $100 million annually in new tax relief to the arts sector in that province.

It is worth pointing out that these tax credits are an improvement on a program that has existed for years; Ontario, it seems, has long recognized the importance of cultural industries to its long term economic prospects.

Ironically, Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial budget was released on the same day, and what did we see for arts from Danny Williams (who apparently heads a "have" province)? Not much; in fact, while there are some minor investments in tourism and the film industry there is almost no new money for music, literature (except for a little more prize money), visual arts, theatre, etc.

As usual, culture will be trotted out by government when promoting this province abroad, like prize tigers taken during a seventeenth century conquest of Africa. Unlike Ontario's government - which apparently can differentiate between real action and slick public relations - the Williams administration is unwilling to make the investments necessary to create a self-sustaining cultural sector.

Oh well, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, we'll have to wait until next year.