Sask. eliminates film subsidy program

The Saskatchewan government has said "cut" to a key tax subsidy for the film industry — an $8-million-a-year program.

Finance Minister Ken Krawetz announced Wednesday that the province can't afford the film employment tax credit and so the program will be wound down.

The subsidy provides a tax credit of up to 55 per cent of the labour costs in film and video productions.

Sitcoms like Corner Gas and TV movies like Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, were among the Saskatchewan productions made with the help of the program.

However, the government says it has spent $100 million on the credits over the years and that's enough.

Brent Butt, the creator and star of Corner Gas used his twitter account to respond to questions about the government's move.

"Lots of people asking me to comment," Butt tweeted. "From my POV [point of view] it's unfortunate. But I'm not good at math or politics."

In the first year, the government says it will save $3 million by cutting the program. It says it will honour existing agreements and pay out the credits until the program is completely wound down.

The cut, announced in Krawetz's provincial budget, comes amid concerns raised by the NDP that the SCN educational TV network could also be spending less money on local production in future.