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Garrison introduces bill to end discrimination of golf

Bill will sustain good quality, local jobs in the community

Supporters gathered at Olympic View Golf Club today to applaud the announcement of Randall Garrison’s (Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca) Bill C-397 to end the longstanding discrimination against golfas a tax deductable business expense.

“While taking a client for drinks or to a hockey game are both fully tax deductible business expenses, taking them to play a game of golf is not” Garrison said.  “At a time when we see golf courses in our community struggling, it is crucial to invest in the important jobs at the golf courses in our community” he continued.

Most golf courses are small businesses that bring in $1.2 billion in property and other indirect taxes and $1.9 billion in income taxes every year.  Nearly 350,000 people work at golf courses across the country, with 1,000 of those in Garrison’s riding and almost half being students .  “If golf courses are not economically viable, we not only lose jobs, we will also see the green space turned into sub divisions” Garrison stated.

“By giving businesses the opportunity to play golf and hold charitable events at golf courses, more money will be generated through taxes that go back into public programs” Garrison said.  “This tax break already exists, golf is simply excluded from it.  It should be a relatively low cost to the Treasury Board as it simply gives business another option in terms of money spent on business expenses but will have a very large return” he argued.

Each year there are more than 25,000 charitable events hosted at Canadian courses and facilitates about $413.0 million in fund raising for charitable causes across Canada.