A candidate to become B.C.’s next premier has pledged to restore arts funding to the 2008-09 level.

In an interview at the Georgia Straight office today, B.C. Liberal leadership candidate George Abbott was asked if he would implement a legislature committee recommendation to bring arts funding back to the 2008-09 level.

"Yes,” Abbott responded. “I think arts and culture are a hugely important part of the fabric of our society.”

The bipartisan committee on finance and government services has made this recommendation for two consecutive years.

In 2008-09, the B.C. Liberal government spent $47.7 million on arts and culture. This came through its funding from the budgetary allocation for arts and culture, the B.C. Arts and Culture Endowment, and B.C. gaming funds.

In the 2010-11 fiscal plan, Finance Minister Colin Hansen made it appear as though the government restored funding to the 2008-09 level. But he fudged the numbers by including a $12.2-million operating grant for the Royal B.C. Museum, which was never considered part of arts funding in the past.

Then in March, the minister responsible for gambling, Rich Coleman, announced that adult arts groups would no longer qualify for gaming revenue.

That prompted the executive director of the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Amir Ali Alibhai, to predict that hundreds of cultural groups would lose their funding.

Abbott, a former college instructor and the MLA for Shuswap, said that he would want to take a “careful look” before making any commitment to forward gaming funds to professional arts organizations.

“I do think the adult arts if we can call it that—the symphony and the opera and all of that—are very important elements in the cultural life of our communities as well,” he acknowledged. “I would want to look at that because again, I don’t want to promise something we can’t deliver. But it is something that I would certainly want to review with caucus particularly, and perhaps even review more broadly with other members of the legislature.”

George Abbott says he wants to speak with members of his caucus about the issue of gaming grants for professional arts organizations.

Abbott was first elected to the legislature in 1996 and has served in several high-profile cabinet positions, including health and education.

He pointed out that when he announced his run for leadership, he promised a “health and wellness” tax credit. He explained that it would be applicable not only to sports, but also to arts and culture.

“If your son or daughter wanted to be involved in dance or theatre or any of the visual arts, the tax credit would apply to that just as it would to a child going into soccer or hockey or other areas,” he said. “So yes on both counts. We not only want to restore [arts funding] as suggested, but also try to build more opportunities for parents to support their involvement in [this] activity.”

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.