In her column today, 24 hours conservative pontificator Erin Airton gives a big smoochie, smooch, smooch to Premier Gordon Campbell for giving tax incentives that will specifically benefit the biotech industry. But Canadian Taxpayers Federation British Columbia executive director Sara MacIntyre isn't as complimentary. Like Ms. Airton, Ms. MacIntyre advocates across-the-board corporate tax cuts. But targetted tax cuts are another matter.

In an interview with Public Eye pointed out the provincial Liberals "haven't announced how they're going to structure the tax incentives. But if it's anything similar to the film industry, it's going to be a cheque cut from treasury to cover certain costs. With the film industry it's labour. Biotech - we're not quite sure what costs the government will cover. But, regardless, it is new corporate welfare. Industries are lining up from preferential treatment. And it's just basically a new phase in the old subsidy game."