Tax break to young people would help

To the editor,

Time flies! This really hit home as our daughter finished her first year of university and Carol and I drove 1,400 kilometres up and 1,400 kilometres back the next day to bring her home.

Watching a child make a life away from home on a campus in another province hit us in the face: we too are getting older. But we’re not alone. Nova Scotian has a demographics challenge.

Some politicians like to talk about it, but I’d rather do something about it. That’s why I suggested the idea of no personal, provincial income tax for anyone under 26 on their first $50,000 of earned income.

We have looked at economic development the wrong way for too long. The old way of thinking — that we will create all these jobs and young people will magically appear and fill them — hasn’t worked.

We need to shake things up. Every single company wants young talent. If we have the young talent, they will help existing companies grow and new companies will come here looking for that young talent. Plus, young people are innovative and some will create their own jobs.

Those under 26 tend to be healthier (not using our health system) and don’t typically have children in the P-12 education system. They don’t cost the system. So let’s give them another reason to stay or — heaven forbid — move here.

I am not interested in tinkering around the edges. You aren’t either. Let’s start thinking big. Let’s start by taking action to build the “human infrastructure” necessary to move our Province into the future.

Yes, we face challenges but, yes, there are solutions. Let’s focus on those.

Tim Houston,

MLA for Pictou East and candidate for the Leadership of the PC Party of Nova Scotia