Parliamentary finance committee takes an interest in sport proposals

Hi Sport Matters,

We've been at this for some time now and it's fair to say it gets better every year. Better understanding by Parliamentarians on the Standing Committee on Finance about why sport matters. Better questions from all parties. And better appreciation for how they can contribute and support Canadian excellence and participation in sport. Actually pretty cool to see the MPs working away at the issues, something you can lose sight of if you just read the papers.

A few highlights:

- We framed our remarks around being in the home city of the coming 2010 Games, building on Therese Brisson's testimony last week from the COC, and with thanks to the Committee for their support of previous budget proposals over the past 2 budgets (i.e. Road to Excellence and the Sport/Rec Infrastructure measures now generating $3b+ in capital investment)

- Then we zeroed in on the 3 proposals from our brief to help Canadian sport to bridge the gap in the coming year(s):

1) Focus on $22m stimulus measures to the national sport programs that are sunseting (OTP, athlete/coach, team, corporate etc.),

2) Modernize the Income Tax Act and make amateur community sport charitable to increase donations,

3) Make the Children's Fitness Tax Credit fully refundable to help low income Canadians register in sport programs.

- Many many nodding heads about the need to get behind the $22m stimulus

- Really supportive group from BC sport in the room - big thanks to Marilyn Payne (2010LegaciesNow), Steven Hills (CSC Pacific), Joe Hitchcock (BC Athlete Voice), and Gail Donohue (KidSport Canada)

- Way better coffee at the Vancouver Hyatt then the stuff they serve on Parliament Hill

- Learned a lot about Fraser River sediment patterns, capital gains status for landlords, daycare/early learning/child poverty/women's equality, and about RCMP budgets in Tahsis, BC - democracy at work here in Vancouver with diverse presentation to the Committee

- Nice job by chairman James Rajotte today - on time and well balanced discussion.

Questions followed on sport, more than ever, about like this:

- John McCallum (Liberal) - Clarifying question on the $22m: what's the potential impact? Then supportive comments agreeing with our recommendation; and then, clarifying statement on the benefits of REFUNDABLE tax credits during the economic downturn - easy to agree with his perspective as an economist.

- Jean-Yves Laforest (Bloc) - How will the charitable status proposal make sport more inclusive? This gave me a chance to talk about how the UK made this change just a few years ago for precisely this purpose.

- Darryl Kramp (Cons) - Line of the day as he agreed with our proposals - "Keep your kids in sport and out of the courts." Big champion of why sport matters at all levels.

- Peter Julian (NDP) - Not really a question, just support for the $22m and the CFTC proposals. Wants to learn more.

- Massimo Pacetti (Liberal) - Support, as always, for our athletes and sport. Then a personal story about hockey and soccer and his kids. What are we doing to make it inclusive and not exclusive? What about our facilities? So I took the chance to talk about Canadian Sport for Life and about the remaining Sport and Rec infrastructure gap ($3b now invested against a $15b deficit.) Bit of back and forth. Good stuff.

We'll have the transcipt soon enough and will circulate to the Group.

All for now.

Ian