(OTTAWA) –Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (Saanich—Gulf Islands), called on the government to re-invest in Canada’s tourism industry.
“Tourism is a top Canadian employer, supporting over a million jobs and bringing $84 billion into our economy every year,” said May. “Canadian tourism, driven by our art, culture, and natural beauty provides proud work for Canadians. Green MPs will work with their colleagues in Parliament to reverse Harper’s crippling cuts to the tourism sector.”
“This is who we are as Canadians, we believe in arts and culture,” said Jo-Ann Roberts, Green Party candidate (Victoria) and former CBC host. “Harper’s cuts to our tourism sector are devastating for Canada’s national character. As a Green MP, I’ll fight to restore support for Canada’s cultural tourism industry.”
Green Party MPs will:
- Increase funding to the Canadian Council for the Arts to fund artists and art organizations, to encourage cultural tourism spending, which is past years has grossed over $760 million;
- Extend income tax relief and incentives for Canadian artists, following Ireland’s and Berlin’s very successful approaches, and implement a Guaranteed Livable Income to help lower-income artists follow their passion;
- Reverse Harper’s anti-tourism decisions: restore the GST-HST rebate to foreign visitors, restore advertising in the US (our biggest market for Canada as a prime destination), reject the changes to penalize seasonal workers in the Employment Insurance system, and eliminate the requirement for a permit to visit Canada from those countries where no visa is required;
- Create a separate federal Department of Tourism to coordinate all aspects of tourism. This ministry will focus on helping the fastest-growing sector of global tourism, ecotourism, become stronger, and through special programs encourage Aboriginal Canadians to assume a bigger role in our tourism industry; and
- Build a low-carbon tourism sector based on intermodal rail and bicycle touring.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca
Or
Kirsten Strom
Executive Assistant to Director of Communications
t: 613.562.4916 (200)
Toll Free 1.866.868.3447
kirsten.strom@greenparty.ca