CKPG Today

BC Liberals call for support for the live event sector

May 19, 2021 | 12:41 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The BC Liberals have called out the NDP government once again, this time for lack of support in the Live events sector.

In last week’s live question period, Todd Stone – BC Liberal Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation asked this.

“So my question to the premier is this, will the premier fix the circuit breaker grant, so that live event business that has been shut down during the pandemic is eligible for desperately needed support.”

Interm leader of the BC Liberal party, Shirley Bond says, more needs to be done.

” This is a simple ask, this is let us qualify for the circuit breaker grant, let us find resources, let the government of British Columbia step up and help this sector. Said Bond “The things that generate revenue and a critical part of the economy.”

When this was brought up in the question period last week, this is what Minister Ravi Khalon had to say:

” businesses are available or have funds available right now for them. They can apply for the small and medium business size program, which is up to 30-thousand dollars and up to 45-thousand if they are tourism operators.”

but according to many, the Live sector often doesn’t meet the criteria when applying.

” The degree of loss that these businesses have faced. If you could imagine, they have literally been shut down, most of them, many of them, since the pandemic began. Said Shirley Bond – Interm Leader of the B.C. Liberals.” “So, if they have been able to, look at other ways of operating, they have still lost significant staff and that staff is essential to being successful when reopening occurs.”

According to the BC Liberals, B.C. is ranked eighth in the country when it comes to per capita direct pandemic relief supports to businesses — while Ontario spends three times the B.C. amount on direct supports for businesses per capita.

” So we have been working very hard, to speak up for a sector that we believe has fallen through the cracks and been forgotten about by this government.”

CKPG has reached out to Ravi Khalon Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. This is a developing story.