Section: National News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: Michael den Tandt and James Christie
Page: A1
**Excerpt**
Parents will get a tax break for their children's organized physical activities such as soccer, hockey, dance lessons or martial arts, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper promised yesterday in another policy statement geared toward wooing middle-class parents.
“Kids should be able to learn, have fun and be active,'' Mr. Harper said in a hockey arena in Buckingham, Que., with a contingent of young hockey players and their parents on hand.
“Governments should encourage not just international excellence, but offer families choices.''
With the initiative, parents will be able to submit with their tax forms a bill worth up to $500 for each child under 16 for any organized activity that encourages physical exercise, said Conservative policy adviser William Stairs. They will be eligible to receive 16 per cent back, or about $80.
Ian Bird, senior leader of the sports community's lobbying collective the Sport Matters Group, said that Mr. Harper's proposal “shows the Conservative Party is paying attention to the sport sector.''
“We'd want to see a government move toward a sport budget that's equal to 1 per cent of the health budget, and an investment in an approach toward physical activity that stretches from playground to podium,'' he said.
Sport Matters cited figures from the True Sport Foundation (which is part of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport) that indicate 71 per cent of Canadians believe sports cost too much for all youngsters to take part.
“With researchers predicting that today's children may be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents, these proposed tax credits are certainly part of the solution,'' said Victor Lachance, chair of the True Sport Foundation.
The idea of a sports tax credit goes back at least to 1999 and Dennis Mills's parliamentary subcommittee report on sports, which called not only for a child-support tax credit for youngsters enrolled in sports, but also for tax credits for coaching costs, officiating, first-aid courses related to sports and female-friendly sports equipment to encourage physical activity among girls.
The ideas were shot down by both Sheila Copps, whose Heritage Department oversaw sports, and Paul Martin, then-minister of finance.
The Tories estimate their promise will cost the federal treasury $130-million annually, based on an estimate of 6.1 million Canadian children under 16.
Mr. Harper, flanked by Lawrence Cannon, the former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister who is the Tory candidate in the West Quebec riding of Pontiac, said the child-fitness tax deduction is in line with a child-care strategy of placing decisions in the hands of parents.
Whether by chance or by design, the proposed tax credit was well-timed for the Conservatives, who were still making hay this morning of remarks made last week by Scott Reid, Mr. Martin's communications adviser.
Mr. Reid apologized Sunday after suggesting that parents would spend a promised Tory $1,200 daycare tax credit on ``beer and popcorn.''
Mr. Harper dismissed the apology, saying Mr. Reid had expressed regret for his choice of words, but not the sentiment.
“I feel a sense of sadness when I hear these comments,'' Mr. Harper said.
“We value parents. We think parents are the most critical part of raising kids.''
