Canadians petition for cycling tax credits
The feature is reproduced in part below:
An Ontario man needs help getting signatures for a petition asking Parliament to consider tax credits for cyclists, similar to the credits that have been offered to public transit users. If successful, Chris Tomasini believes that the credits could lead to an increase in the number of cycling commuters, which would then benefit all Canadians in the form of cleaner air, lower health care costs, and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.
The petition comes at the perfect time. Two recent polls show that a majority of Canadians believe the federal government is doing a poor job at reducing air pollution and fighting climate change. Prime Minister Harper just replaced his environment minister following criticism of Canada’s policies by other countries and the United Nations at the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi. The Conservatives may now be more open to new environmental initiatives.
Tomasini originally posted the petition online at the web site gopetition.com, where it has so far received 2,800 signatures. He and others began asking Members of Parliament to present the petition to the House of Commons. Only New Democratic Party MP Olivia Chow agreed to their request. However, it was then that Tomasini learned that there are specific rules governing petitions presented to the House. Among these is that signatures must be handwritten, which meant that an online petition would not be acceptable.
He then started trying to find retail shops that would let him post the petition for their customers to sign. So far, with the help of others, it can only be found in a few Mountain Equipment Co-op stores, including the store in Vancouver. Tomasini doesn’t have the time to look for more retailers. Another problem is that he needs a volunteer to translate it correctly into French. ......
Those who want to support the initiative can download a copy of the petition and mail a signed copy to Tomasini, or collect signatures. It will also help to mail a letter to your Member of Parliament asking them to support the initiative. No postage is required to send mail to Members of Parliament. Signing the online petition can still show moral support, even though it won’t be admissible in Parliament.
To read the full text of the petition and supporting literature and for Tomasini’s contact information, visit his blog:www.tucorides.blogspot.com.