moved for leave to introduce Bill C-562, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (Head Smart ski and snowboard facilities).
Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure and honour to present this first piece of legislation that comes out of a contest that we run across northwestern B.C. called “Create Your Canada”, whereby we allow young people from grades 5 through 12 to write bills on any idea that would make Canada a better place. The students have joined us here on the Hill today to see their bills presented into law. We encourage members from all parties to look at this contest and consider taking it up in their own ridings.
This legislation was put forward by a young man named Justin Steenhof who, after watching a life-threatening accident on a ski hill in northwestern B.C., realized that helmets must not simply be a voluntary exercise in this country when people of any age are skiing and snowboarding.
He has also looked into this act which allows some tax incentive to ski hills that make it mandatory to have helmets on at all times when skiing. The Brain Injury Association of Canada and other groups have come onboard with this.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)