January 10, 2006 – Your contribution to the Because Sport Matters election campaign can make a real difference. With over 250 people now involved in almost 150 ridings, we are having an impact on how this campaign is shaping up and how the message to invest the equivalent of 1% of the federal health budget — about $300 million – in sport and physical activity is being heard.

Here’s a snapshot”¦

– The Conservative Party has promised a tax credit valued at $80 per child for fees up to $500 towards registration in organized physical activity and sport programs. The total investment is earmarked by the party at $130 million.

РThe Bloc Qu̩b̩cois has a broad-based policy platform weighted towards lifelong participation in sport and support for La R̩l̬ve athletes and coaches, although most of the public noise has been about separate national teams.

– The Green Party has a comprehensive active living strategy, including an annual investment of $100 million in physical activity and the implementation of the high performance goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.

– The policy announcements from the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party have yet to be released.

At the Sport Matters Group, we’ve developed a series of tools and resources to help you campaign on sport issues in your riding. At www.sportmatters.ca you can access a series of Sport Fact Sheets, Letter Samples, Letter Templates, Questions for Your Candidates, and a Playbook on Hosting an All-Candidates Meeting on Sport. You can also find sport related election news on the site, too.

One last thing, we’ve listed here a number of websites where you can find contact information for each of the candidates in your riding. You can also call us to ask for help!

Elections Canada:
En: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=e
Fr: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=f

CBC:
En: http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/candidatesridings/

Bloc Québécois:
Fr: http://www.blocquebecois.org/fr/videomaton_2005_liste.asp

Conservative Party of Canada:
En:http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1051/
Fr:http://www.conservative.ca/?section_id=1051&language_id=2

Green Party of Canada
En: http://www.greenparty.ca/
Fr: http://www.partivert.ca/

Liberal Party of Canada
En: http://www.liberal.ca/candidates_e.aspx
Fr: http://www.liberal.ca/candidates_f.aspx

New Democratic Party
En: http://www.ndp.ca/myriding/lookup
Fr: http://www.npd.ca/myriding/lookup

Keep in mind that simply making the connection between sport and the election in your riding is the key. Simple local action can produce local results and national policy changes, too.

Best of luck on the campaign trail”¦and let us know how it goes,

The Sport Matters Group (SMG) is a voluntary group of national and provincial sport organizations and leaders who have come together to consider the future of sport in Canada and to collaborate on various sport policy issues. The SMG includes over 90 organizations and sport leaders actively involved in public policy issues that affect sport and physical activity. The SMG has been involved in bringing forward the sport sector’s views on such things as the Canadian Sport Policy, the Voluntary Sector Initiative, the Physical Activity and Sport Act, federal budgets, federal campaigns, pan-Canadian municipal sport policy, and the linkages between sport and healthy living.

For more information, please visit www.sportmatters.ca
Pour plus de renseignements, veuillez visiter www.sportestimportant.ca