MP’S idea is road worthy

A Montreal Liberal MP’s proposal could be just the ticket to getting more Canadians to explore our vast nation.

Massimo Pacetti observes that Canadians tend to travel south for their vacations, all too often turning their backs on the so-called Great White North.

His private member’s bill, which will be introduced next week, would give families a tax credit of up to $2,000 for travelling domestically. To get the money, they’d have to cross at least three provincial boundaries.

“We’re not talking about Montreal-Toronto here,” he said. “We want people to get out there and see their country. But we want them to do it in an environmentally responsible way, like taking the bus, for instance.”

Pacetti doesn’t know how much the initiative would cost the federal treasury, but he notes it would inject muchneeded tourism dollars into communities across Canada.

So far, the government doesn’t seem keen on Pacetti’s proposal. “In an era where governments are trying to get back to balanced budgets (and) fiscal responsibility, costly new novelty subsidies are not the best use of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Mary Ann Dewey-Plante, spokeswoman for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

We’re as concerned as anyone about getting public finances back into the black, but believe the government should consider Pacetti’s suggestion. Apart from providing a boost to Canadian tourism, the tax credit would go some distance to strengthening national unity, and it’s hard to put a price tag on Canadians possessing a better understanding of one another.