Banff - Airdrie MP Blake Richards is concerned that a lot of private campgrounds may be forced out of business.

Yesterday (February 9) at Rangeland RV, Richards held a roundtable with campground owners to discuss the implications of changes in eligibility for the small business tax rate.

The Trudeau government has said some businesses, like campgrounds, are "too small" to qualify for the small business tax rate and are demanding tax payments that are the same as those of billion dollar corporations.

Richards says campground owners are anything but "passive" wage earners, "You can ask any campground owner, or anybody that's ever camped.  They see full well the range of services that are provided by a campground."

Richards feels if the businesses are forced to pay higher tax rates, many will simply go out of business,  "Either that or they'll be forced to pass along the higher costs to their campers."

About a dozen campground owners from around Alberta attended the roundtable discussion with most of them wondering what they should do.

Richards urged them to get petitions signed and encouraged group action.

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