DISSENTING REPORT
PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

The Progressive Conservative Party supports those recommendations made by the Sub-Committee with respect to supporting amateur sport in Canada. The PC Party in particular is in support of those recommendations that encourage Canadians to engage in a more healthy lifestyle as well as those that promote ethics in sport, the integration of disabled persons into sport governing bodies and the support of parents and coaches in Canada. As well, those recommendations aimed at overall improvements to amateur sport are strongly supported.

The PC Party does not support those recommendations that propose a Sport Pact as a means of promoting the vitality and stability of professional sport in Canada. Of significant concern is the proposal to provide subsidies, in the form of tax breaks to professional sport franchises in Canada. Our concerns relate to the issues that flow from these recommendations that require further clarification, including:

• The cost of these proposed tax breaks
• The effect these initiatives would have on professional sport franchises and on the Canadian economy in general
• The need for a full and proper examination of the concept of income-sharing among organizations within the National Hockey League
• The lack of any real undertaking by those franchises as to what they would provide in return for these tax breaks (i.e. more community involvement)

We recommend and encourage greater study into the issues of subsidies to professional sports franchises with a mind to ensuring their presence in Canada is balanced with the best economic interests of all Canadians.