First Federal Golf Industry Lobby Day

First Federal Golf Industry Lobby Day
Canadian Golf Industry gathers on Parliament Hill to tell golf’s good news story

On behalf of the entire Canadian golf industry, the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) will be on Parliament Hill to meet with MPs, Senators and senior policy advisors throughout the day on June 7, 2011.

The objectives are to establish golf as a vital industry and not just a great game, to build important relationships with key decision makers, and to request tax fairness through a correction to the Income Tax Act that currently does not allow business people any tax deduction when entertaining clients at golf courses despite such an important business allowance for all other industries.

The events include a reception with Ministers, MPs, Senators, and their senior staff, a breakfast meeting hosted by the new Minister of State for Sports, The Honourable Bal Gosal, dozens of pre-arranged meetings with individual government officials from all parties and departments, a press conference for the political media and attendance at Question Period.

“Government typically does not understand our industry very well and there a lot of misconceptions to be cleared up,” explains Jeff Calderwood, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada and NAGA government relations director. “We need to explain the very positive economic impact, environmental stewardship and healthy recreational lifestyle benefits that golf provides to Canadian society. And once we establish that we are indeed an important industry, we need to correct the flaw in the Income Tax Act so that we can effectively grow that corporate sector of the game without the deterrent of unfair taxation.”

NAGA has engaged Impact Public Affairs to coordinate this federal and a series of six other provincial golf industry awareness days that were all executed this spring very successfully. These lobby days are a first for the Canadian golf industry, and an important component to building an effective government relations strategy for the future of Canadian golf.

About NAGA:
NAGA is a national golf organization comprised of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA), Canadian Professional Golfers Association (CPGA), Canadian Society of Club Managers (CSCM), Canadian Professional Golf Tour (CPGT), National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), dedicated to improving all sectors of golf in Canada. Formed in 1999, NAGA’s objective is to work cooperatively together as industry leaders ensuring a strong future for golf in Canada.