Keeping it Real…

27 responses so far ↓

• 1 SB // Aug 30, 2010 at 6:14 pm

  In my local area i have heard NDP state they would at the least remove many items from HST , not what or how which i agree isnt clear enough i will say they are on a better track than those who dont say it will be at least reduced and exemptions to many categories put in place, Conservatives support consumption taxes so id say they would support HST so other than what does the NDP plan to do theres not a lot of mystery here .
  I agree it would be nice to know what they plan all of them .

  (Response: It would not only be nice…it’s our right. And who knows, if we found out what they planned to replace it, we might prefer the HST! h.o.)

• 2 Genuine // Aug 30, 2010 at 6:23 pm

  Clearly,nobody wants this tax in except big multinational corporations ,which time and time again have proven themselves to not have the best interests of citizens at heart but, only their shareholders interests ,in which mho is a special interest in itself this tax must be repealed no matter who gets in(the vault)its time to anti up,we are supposed to be the voices the government is supposed to reflect ,as far as we are concerned, we have spoken its time to listen.

  (Response: Not everyone has spoken, of course. But you are right that it is time for our elected officials to listen to the people ..and what they have said in no uncertain terms is they want politiicans to be UP FRONT before they get into power and tell us exactly what they will do. Not just pretend to sympathize …but change nothing after elected. h.o)

• 3 Ruraidh // Aug 30, 2010 at 6:34 pm

  There is a Machiavellian aspect to the HST.

  Once the HST is in place (as it is) , there will be a litany of economists, business analysts, radio commentators etc. who will opine on the fact that the repeal of the HST will damage BC’s investment climate (not to miss out BC’s credit rating).

  And they likely will be correct. Such is the momentous impact of a sub-national tax imposed at a stroke of a pen.

  On the other hand, there probably are more than a few business analysts who have already downgraded BC’s investment climate based on the political uncertainty.

  We will leave it to the economic historians to decide in the future whether the legacy of Campbell and Hansen is a positive one. So far, it looks as if they have achieved an economic revolution at the cost of the hard won integrity of the political system.

  And that is a damning legacy.

• 4 mariner // Aug 30, 2010 at 8:22 pm

  One thing I think we will find is that there will be more indipendents elected in the future – instead of just the two party system. Anthing is better than what we have now – BC Liberals (going, going, gone – permanently, hopefully), NDP who are sufferiing from not wanting to commit themselves or make a decision, BC Conservatives – just like the misnamed BC Libs.

  Really not a lot to chose from eh! I am sure that people will look hard at both the Green party and Independent candidates.

  Far too much damage has been done – politically and fiscally, by the current BC Liberal government (Neoliberalists) to date – it will take decades to fully recover.

  It certainly would be nice to bring back some resemblence of sanity and integrity to politics in BC. The BC Liberals have taken it down to the level of the gutter or lower, resulting in pretty much all politicians being regarded as dishonest, untruthful, no credibilty or integrity and untrustworthy – quite a legacy.

• 5 Keith // Aug 30, 2010 at 8:58 pm

  It’s been an easy ride for the opposition so far as the Liberals self destruct on a daily basis and they have done the right thing in keeping a low profile. But yes it’s time they made their positions known.

  The conservatives as it has been already noted like consumption taxes and the backroom manouvers now starting with ex reform/conservative movers and shakers I can’t see the HST going anywhere should they end up in the hot seat, heaven forbid.!

  Imho the NDP would score points no matter what if they gave us a well thought out position, plus the ensuing debate would keep the HST on the boil into the time when the recall campaigns start.

  In a perfect world I would like to see the taxes shifted back to Gordo’s pals, but with the amount of debt that he and Hansen have and are still piling on, the opposition parties should also explain how they would tackle that.

  (Response: Exactly. The Opposition parties must come clean …say whether or not they would scrap the HST … and how they would make up the revenues if they do. h.o)

• 6 Lynn // Aug 30, 2010 at 9:19 pm

  Ruraidh,
  Economic historians don’t get to decide if Huggies and Gordo leave a positive legacy. We, the citizens of this province do,, and have already decided the two amigos are not worthy of any historical footnote, other than they are adapt at pandering to big business who is hell bent on destroying the life style of the working poor.
  Trouble is no matter what party is able to squeak into power next will continue the pandering unless we citizens stay active in the governing process.
  The HST contract with the federal government is so entrenched that it will be a long difficult task to get rid of it. Harper should also be taken to task for his participation in this bloody mess.
  The only option as I see it is to reduce the 12 percent to something manageable or rather AFFORDABLE and make a lot item hst exempt.
  I still get mad when I see the double digit hst amount, so PAB, don’t think or assume for a minute the anger is going to soften over time, cause it ain’t.
  Shame on the business community for not lowering your prices to reflect the lower cost of doing business.
  But thank you for waking me up. I now pay more attention. No more loosie goosie spending.
  Just went to staples to buy a pen refill. The cashier asked if I wanted to make a donation for school supplies. I told him can’t afford it because of the hst has taken what little extra cash I had left.

  (Response: One thing to remember: Harper has a minority government and will face an election within a year. If BC decided it wanted out from the HST ..I doubt Harper and the Tories would stand in our way…. and risk losing many, many BC seats ..sending them into Oppositon. I’d bet they’d even find a way to let us keep the $1.6 Billoin advance, if they’re smart. Call it just a partial adjustment of all the extra money they throw into Quebec… that “have not” province, that uses its extra fed aid to give its citizens the richest subsidized social programs in the country. h.o)

• 7 Tim // Aug 30, 2010 at 9:33 pm

  There are a couple of historical issues I will point out on the GST/HST. First, for decades all the major political players in Ottawa have favored the holy grail of a single rate coast to coast GST/HST like tax with a certain percentage of revenue allocated directly to the provinces on a prorated basis.. In this context pricing could be mandated to be tax included as no longer would retailers have to deal with different tax rates across provinces. The Federal govt tried this twice once before Mulroney introduced the GST and after Liberals came into power in 1993 pledging to get rid of the GST. The Liberal effort largely failed due to the opposition of both the provincial NDP and PC governments in Ontario. Interestingly enough according to accounts from the time, both Mike Harcourt and Elizabeth Cull(The provincial NDP finance minister from BC) were not necessarily against the single rate coast to coast idea if everyone else especially Ontario went along with it. Cull did feel the GST tax base penalized lots of BC businesses in areas like tourism but that BC could not stand as the only province against harmonization if it came to that. In fact some accounts indicated that Manitoba and PST free Alberta were even more in favor of it if the Feds gave them income tax points.
  Basically Ontario objecting to hamonization saved Cull’s and Harcourt’s bacon. The Federal Liberals were forced instead to develop the current “opt in” “HST” harmonization that was brought into place in the Maratimes in the late 1990s and essentially forgotten in the rest of the country until 2009 in which for whatever reason Ontario decided to harmonize along the lines of the Atlantic provinces. My biggest criticism is the fact notwithstanding the fact that harmonization has essentially been forgotten for the last ten years by everyone outside a few Ottawa tax lawyers if the “economics” of the HST are so great why didn’t a party like the BC Liberals that “understands the needs of business” and is “free market” and “capitalistic” at least had some opinion on harmonization other than we don’t “contemplate” it.
  My sense is the original single rate idea might be the future sooner than anyone thinks. Remember as recently as 2008 no one even really new what harmonization was. First Alberta’s governments could essentially get a stream of consumption tax revenues while at the same time avoiding of the hit of imposing sales taxes especially if they got nationwide tax included pricing. Manitoba and Saskatchewan whose govt’s non denial denials are far weeker than what the BC Liberals, could claim to be signing up to something better than HST. Finally a true single rate nationwide HST could help solve some of them issues the Ottawa bureacracy has with giving Quebec transition funding ala Ontario and BC for their own HST like tax that they administer themselves.

  (Response: Quebec has it even better than the HSt … they first charge the GST and then add the PST on the new total, charging tax on a tax! Your info may explain why the NDP has not really come out and said categorically they would get rid of the HST … deep down, they basically lke it .. something all those favoring recall and by-elections to think about …unless they are prepared to run their own anti-HST independents. Now wouldn’t that make for an interesting legislature!! h.o)

• 8 SC // Aug 31, 2010 at 12:04 am

  In complete agreement Harv. In fact, former City of North Vancouver Councillor Bill Bell’s column in the North Shore News wrote an article headlined “NDP campaign built on silence”. http://www.nsnews.com/news/campaign+built+silence/3401134/story.html

  The Vancouver Sun has written on how “Success should bring new scrutiny to for James, NDP.” That article can be found here: http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Success+should+bring+scrutiny+James/3444984/story.html

  The unfortunate thing is though, the NDP at this point has to be the anti-HST party and down with Liberals and probably cruise to easy victory and once elected to “try” to re-negotiate the HST agreement with the Feds. Of course, at this point, the further Campbell stays on as Premier, the more the NDP can galvanize and walk to victory, providing that the Liberals pick the wrong leader.

  Could it be 1991 all over again, when the Socreds picked Rita Johnston over Grace McCarthy as leader and Premier, only to be trounced at the polls.? Even Harcourt said that he preferred Johnston winning since McCarthy would’ve been tougher to beat.

  Flash forward nearly 20 years, where there’s time plenty of time before the election to recover (unlike 1991) and Carole Taylor is looking like Grace McCarthy and Kevin Falcon is looking like Rita Johnston. Will the Liberals get it right and have a real chance of not imploding like the Socreds, with someone like Carole Taylor at the helm, or eventually end up in the political graveyard, beside the Socreds.

  It should make for an interesting couple of years, however, with many voters not exactly trusting of Carole James and/or the NDP, if the NDP doesn’t eventually offer up some sound policies soon, and if the Liberals have the right leader, it could be the NDP’s own downfall. There’s something like 33 months left until the next election? Anything can and will happen!

  (Response: I still doubt James will be around for the next election. Remember the Liberals WILL have a new leader and the NDP will also need a “new” image too if it plans to succeed. h.o)

• 9 Tim // Aug 31, 2010 at 12:15 am

  One of the more interesting things regarding the NDP in my opinion is the commentary or lack there of from Finance Critic Bruce Ralston who should be the NDP’s point man on the HST. Instead for whatever reason you hear a lot from House Mike Farnworth. The few cryptic statements Ralston has made SINCE the tax has come in are saying things the HST is like your appendix once its out its out(Does he mean once its in its in? or is he referring the old PST; once its out its out). It kind reminds of the Federal Liberals in opposition in the early 1990s people like Sheila Copps and John Nunziata constantly made flamboyant and aggressive attacks against the GST but future Finance Minister Paul Martin only would make “bland” statements opposing it and never that publically or on camera(I admit this was a bit before my time I know you can still find video clips of Copps, Nunizata and Herb Gray opposing the GST but few of Martin)
  There is one very real flaw to the HST that I admit to as someone that supports it that neither the main proponents or opponents of it have mentioned. That is that most goods and services we now buy a priced on a NATIONWIDE basis. Thus to the extent that government claims that prices will go down because of the HST they will not just go down in BC but also Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario etc. Many items you see at lets say Canadian Tire are actually tagged in a distribution center before and without regard for what province they will even be shipped to. While a retailer like Canadian Tire can fudge things a little bit under the law the price the advertise something for online basically has to be price it is being sold in any Canadian Tire store anywhere in the country. Now they could choose to sell lower in store than the advertisement price legally but generally no business would ever do that. Thus it is my belief that while the HST will cause reduced consumer prices it will be on a somewhat indirect basis and it will in effect subsidize consumers outside of the province as much as inside. My sense it will reduce prices for goods that lets say MUST manufactured in BC vs Alberta(maybe because they need port access??)
  The HST WILL make BC a more competive place to do business vis a vis Alberta whicle WILL help employment but will NOT necessarily reduce consumer prices as the government claims. Thus going back to my first post the real solution is nationwide single rate GST/HST in which all the provincies and the federal government force retailers to include within in their pricing on a nationwide basis. I don’t what the odds of this ever happening are but it is higher than it was even a few months ago. (Just look the discussion in Alberta about maybe there will someday be a sales tax????) Now the HST will help smaller business and their customers that do business on a BC pricing only basis unfortionately there are not that many of these left.

  (Response: My problem with it is that I believe there are many flaws. There should be many more exemptions, such as restaurant meals, cooked grocery items, repairs to public facilities or home renovations services (to encourage job growth and discourage the gray market). And I doubt we’ll ever see price reductions on anything that is not highly competitive. In most cases where companuies make specialized products or where they all charge about the same, the extra revenue will just mean extra profits and even those won’t even be shared equally with workers but will mostly be skimmed by by the top executives. Remember, this province boasts of the lowest corporate taxes in the country…there must be room there for big earners to pay higher taxes instead of just dumping the burden so heavily on working people, seniors and young couples trying to save for a home. h.o)

• 10 D. M. Johnston // Aug 31, 2010 at 2:05 am

  Er, do we have an official opposition? The silence I here from Ms. James makes me think they have all resigned!

  If one follows the media, one would think that Bill Van der Zalm was Her majesty’s Loyal opposition!

• 11 Tim // Aug 31, 2010 at 4:22 am

  There are a couple things I’ll say about restaurants and construction contractors again as someone who in principle supports a VAT/GST/HST system. First the issues with both emerge out of the Federal GST, they just become more apparent at a combined 12% GST/HST than just a 5% GST. Second both of these industries have issues in almost every western countries’ VAT system. I suspect unlicensed construction contractors are one of the number sources of VAT anywhere in the world. If you look on the UK Inland Revenue website you find a lot more information Construction VAT fraud than you at the Canada Revenue Agency. I suspect given the more diverse economic nature of both Ontario and BC the CRA need to get on top of this fast.

  In France for example there has been huge controversy for years about charging VAT on Restaurant meals as there has been in other European countries. In Canada specifically one argument made by restuaranters is that “basic groceries” are exempt from GST/HST but prepared food isn’t. Interestingly the basic groceries exemption was only added late in 1990 for political reasons by the Mulroney government after they started to face massive public outcry of the coming into effect of the GST. The federal government actually printed brochures about GST to be distributed to all Canadians about the GST that made no mention of the “basic groceries” and then had shred them and print all new brochures with the basic grocery exemption included after Mulroney’s political staff changed their mind just like Colin Hansen. Having said all that there is no federal government that is going to change the status of “basic groceries”. The next best thing would be zero or reduced rate for prepared food. The problem of course is this costs real money for both federal and participating provincial governments.

  There are basically the following options for any government in BC. The first two assume paying back all transition funding and possibly other expenses the Federal government might deem valid

  1. Scrap the HST and reinstate the PST retroactively- This is the “official” policy of Bill Vander Zalm however it would an absolute administrative nightmare and it is unlikely either party would ever do it especially the longer the HST stays in place.

  2. Scrap the HST and reinstate the PST some date in the future(1 year ??)- Slightly more likely but again very difficult. Business could frontload capital expenditure before the PST comes back plus at the end of day as much as everyone hates the HST the PST is real problematic tax administratively. Only three provinces now still have one. It would like taking a car you sent to the junk yard and trying to make it drivable again. If look back at Liberals post election 1993 there was never any discussion of bringing back the Manfacturers Sales Tax to replace the GST.

  3. Negotiate with the federal government for additional HST rebates- Exempt things such as Coffee, Newspapers, meals under 4$ like Ontario. Additionally give rebate checks to everyone like Ontario did. From the perspective of the BC Liberal get a new leader at the same time. This is starting to become the “mushy middle” position of people like Barbara Yaffe. Maybe add a point or two to Corporate Taxes to pay for any exemptions and to bring the deficit down.

  4. Let them eat cake- Keep the HST as is no exceptions. If your the BC Liberals hope you won’t get recalled. If your the NDP post 2013 hope no one looks to closely at your pre-election promises.

  5. Try to negotiate a whole new system of joint provincial federal consumption taxation. -Unfortionately BC traditionally hasn’t traditionally played this type of leadership role in Canada. From the NDP side I am not sure they have the relationships needed in Ottawa and the other provinces. Even for the Liberals I am not sure the other HST provinces have any desire at the moment to change the current system even though I think it is flawed for all the participating provinces. Dalton McGuinty has a big election just over a year from now why rock the boat especially if you aren’t getting the same type of heat on the HST. Alberta and Quebec have unique situations with consumption taxes and federalism in general that are hard to interept on any given day. Manitoba and Saskatchewan might like the opportunity of ditching their PST’s without being seen as adopting the HST ala BC. I will add the current finance minister Jim Flaherty has been willing to take on politcally fraught files like a national securities regulator and income trusts so who knows. Consumption taxes are much more explosive though.

  6. Have no consumption tax- By some accounts the position of the BC Conservatives. Totally unrealistically financially.

  (Response: They could also scrap the HST, removing the extra burden from working people …but not reimpose the PST on goods/equipment purchased by companies. That would give a break to both business and people. How to make up the lost revenue? By taxing the greater profits that the government says will result from substantially increased sales and profits from removal of the HST. Corporate taxes here … the government boasts …. are about the lowest in Canada. Why can’t companies here pay what companies pay in Ontario, Quebec etc? And I’d bet there’s room to move on personal income taxes for BC highest earners … instead of hitting the middle class and young families so hard with the HST. h.o)

• 12 Leah // Aug 31, 2010 at 4:25 am

  Bruce Ralston has spoken up about the HST – and he’s being honest and forthright about it. Too bad his leader wouldn’t take his cue…

  http://www.straight.com/article-340002/vancouver/ndp-admits-it-will-be-tough-kill-hst

  “There is no easy way to undo the harmonized sales tax, even if Gordon Campbell and the B.C. Liberals are no longer in power.

  NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston says that untangling the HST isn’t as simple as some might think.

  Even if New Democrats were to form the provincial government in 2013 and serve notice to the federal government that they intended to end the unpopular tax, the HST isn’t going to disappear in an instant, according to the Surrey-Whalley MLA, who’s also a lawyer.”

  Read the rest of the article at Straight, see what you think? Still won’t make me vote for Carole though.

  (Response: It couldn’t be gotten rid of overnight…but it could be gotten rid of … if any government really decided to listen to the will of the people. h.o)

• 13 SC // Aug 31, 2010 at 5:20 am

  “(Response: I still doubt James will be around for the next election. Remember the Liberals WILL have a new leader and the NDP will also need a “new” image too if it plans to succeed. h.o)”

  My bad! I do agree with what you said. Of course, she’ll be gone, it’s just a matter of which way the NDP goes. Will the members veer to the left, or try and stay close to the middle? If they were smart, (smarts and politics doesn’t always go hand in hand ) they’d pick the latter rather than the former.

  I also know that Campbell will be gone, there’s no question about that. I was saying (perhaps not very well) that the sooner Campbell steps down thus beginning a leadership race, the more likelihood that Liberals could survive and potentially win the next election (depending on the leader) or at the very least reduce the bloodletting.

  D.M. Johnston – too true, too true!!

  (Response: The timing of a leader stepping down (except in very unusual circumstances) is a choreographed affair these days. Go too soon and by the time of the election, the euphoria of a “new” start will have faded …and the blemishes will have had too long to surface. I’d say it will all start to unfold in early Fall next year. h.o.)

• 14 Crankypants // Aug 31, 2010 at 6:08 am

  I read the article and have heard Rolston and James do the renegotiate dance numerous times. In my opinion, all they are doing is butt covering to try and preserve an image they think they have with the business community. If the HST is cancelled and the PST and other taxes restored, there will be the cries from the usual suspects about the cost of re-tooling their accounting and the repayment of whatever BC has taken so far from the $1.599 billion bribe.

  Earth to NDP. The majority of the business community will never be your friends. No matter what you do the MSM will still treat you with same respect as a serial killer. It’s time the BC NDP Party stepped out of their fantasy world and entered the real one.

  Does anyone really think that Harper and his party would stand in the way of BC getting out of the HST agreement? They may not like it, but they also aspire to get a majority next election. How many of their 22 current seats in BC do you think they would lose if they refused to acceed to the wishes of the majority of the citizens of BC? Remember Campbell had the luxury of just having won another majority mandate. Harper doesn’t have that luxury.

  And finally, what is the point of carrying on with the FightHST campaign if it will be ultimately for naught?

  (Response: Exactly! As I stated in my response to Ian. People should realize that in politics and government … EVERYTHING can be changed …and fairly quickly too. If they really want to do it. h.o)

• 15 Crankypants // Aug 31, 2010 at 6:15 am

  My last comment is a copy of what I posted on the “Honestly Shared Taxation” site. That is why the lead paragraph may sound a little out of place.

  However, my message is the same, and I’m not that proficient on the keyboard.

• 16 Ian // Aug 31, 2010 at 1:51 pm

  Ralston’s very specific comments, noted by Leah in an article as recent as last week, are exactly the same as James’, as expressed in the House and in interviews through the Spring and Summer. Palmer, amongst others, has written extensively on them.

  You may disagree with them, but it is wrong to say they haven’t been specific. And, unlike most commentators here, their comments are informed by a close reading of the agreement negotiated by the BC Liberals with the Federal Government.

  Ralston, as Leah points out, enumerates the constraints built into the agreement. They are significant and any prospective government should think them through, as Ralston and James appear to have done, before making promises they won’t be able to keep.

  It would be easy at this stage to bullshit the media and voters and say “we’ll abolish the HST immediately” even if that’s not very credible. I’d say they’ve taken the honest approach, outlining the obstacles and saying BC will have to negotiate its way out of the tax.

  This is not the traditional BC politics of fire and brimstone and BS. Instead it treats citizens like adults, faced with a tricky problem not of their making. What a concept.

  (Response: It’s a smokescreen to say we can’t get rid of the HST and blame that on Ottawa. As I’ve said, Harper …leader of a minority government facing an election within a year..would do nothing to stop BC from re-writing that agreement in an instant. And if we do that BEFORE the federal vote, he’ll do it with smiles. Try it. h.o.)

• 17 D. M. Johnston // Aug 31, 2010 at 2:32 pm

  Quote; “I’d say it will all start to unfold in early Fall next year. h.o.”

  Too true, unless the BC Rail trial starts going South or the BC Hydro private power/BC Hydro scam takes off or a host of other fiasco’s hit the Liberal party.

  As it stands, Gordo is a massive deficit to the party, yet they can’t find a ‘star’ candidate to succeed him, so if Gordo steps down, you just have a cadre of Liberal reruns and all their baggage left to lead the party.

  That being said, we will never rid ourselves of the dreaded HST and it has certainly changed how this family shops!

  Locally, the anger is rising with people over the HST, something opposite what the three amigos have been saying on CORUS!

  The Zalm is keeping the HST an open wound and Gordo and his bunch of cavaliers just can’t staunch the flow of blood.

• 18 Lynn // Aug 31, 2010 at 5:13 pm

  Crankypants said:
  “Earth to NDP. The majority of the business community will never be your friends. No matter what you do the MSM will still treat you with same respect as a serial killer. It’s time the BC NDP Party stepped out of their fantasy world and entered the real one.”
  Well said!
  The NDP need to stop feeling intimidated by the business and msm bullies, get back to their roots by standing up for the working man, woman, and children.
  This whole mess is because of the pandering TO THE WRONG PEOPLE!
  Here is an idea. Pander to the citizens and future generations of this Province.
  End of story.

• 19 SB // Aug 31, 2010 at 8:25 pm

  To read here many including H.O himself think it may be possible to cancel and have Harpers help if so great , politics being what it is lets consider what if not and it appears the NDP is doing such they well know MSM will take a small crack in their agenda and use it mercilessly {lets compare how G Clark was treated to what Campbells free ride is like} no wonder they tread carefully and are being cautious they have little choice .
  If people get out and vote the NDP in in great numbers next opportunity they may move harder and faster to change things but only with support of voters would they make that happen it goes both ways and the public well knows what ideology either side brings in as government.

• 20 blaffergassted // Sep 1, 2010 at 4:48 am

  I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestion that Harper would happily cancel of the HST, if asked.

  Such a move would immediately bankrupt the province of BC, and force the layoff of thousands of public servants!

  And then Harper could happily retire! (With his fat government pension, of course.)

  (Response: We got along before without the HST … the best place on earth, remember? Just let the most profitable corporations share the tax burden a bit more fairly, instead of loading it all so heavily onto middle class workers. h.o. )

• 21 Dan // Sep 1, 2010 at 6:19 am

  We don’t seem to have an opposition party in BC anymore, at least not an official opposition.

• 22 Genuine // Sep 1, 2010 at 3:16 pm

  Adrian Dix gave the liberals(alliance BC),an out in one of his last debates on the repeal of the pst he predicted this would happen and asked the Govt.,side to hold on and reconsider because in his view the way this was brought in was wrong and unconstitutional and to think about it a while longer and then bring this to a proper vote in the house ,did they listen? look it up it’s in the blues,but nobody makes note of this I was just waiting to see if our legislative press would make a story of this ,those boys are so out to lunch(literally with all their friends) they can’t be bothered to report on such foresight from one of our MLA’s on the other side ,because that’s the way it looks to me us against them.

• 23 sunshine coast girl // Sep 1, 2010 at 4:12 pm

  I believe it’s just as impossible to rescind the HST as it was to collect the signatures of 10% of registered voters in all 85 ridings in the province.

  (Response: Right… impossible. h.o.

• 24 Ruraidh // Sep 1, 2010 at 5:04 pm

  We all formerly cherished the idea that B.C. politics was an exercise in democracy.

  We now have to abuse yourselves of that idea for what Campbell and Hansen did with the HST was what military historians know as a coup de main (a coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow.)

  We should not be surprised that MLA opponents are struggling with the HST for there is no real opposition equivalent of a coup de main.(that is until the recall campaigns start)

  The liberal HST made for great political theatre but lousy democracy.

• 25 istvan // Sep 1, 2010 at 10:09 pm

  well said Lynn.

• 26 brian in kelowna // Sep 2, 2010 at 1:47 am

  http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100901/bc_hst_documents_100901/20100901?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

  The B.C. Liberal government was discussing and studying the Harmonized Sales Tax five months before they actually told British Columbians about it, CTV News has learned.

  What a surprise!! Campbell and Hansen caught lying again. These POS should immediately resign, lose their gold plated pension, and throw themselves on the floor of the legislature and beg forgiveness, then tossed to the nearest landfill!!

  (Response: Hansen says they were NOT lying … governments have all kinds of discussions but insists they had no plans to bring it in. h.o

• 27 Kim // Sep 6, 2010 at 11:52 pm

  I asked John Horgan, my MLA, his reply;
  “Hi Kim

  Our plan for the HST is to get the committee to put the Bill to a vote this fall and ditch the tax now rather than leave it to the distant future.

  Assuming the Fibs vote the Bill down and do not proceed to a referendum, our platform at the next election would include giving notice to the Feds the we would wind down the HST at the end of the 5 year term or sooner if negotiations proved effective.

  The Conservatives need to feel the heat on this as well. Every time Harper thinks of BC he should be reminded that he is on the wrong side of this issue.

  Cheers

  Horgan”

  (Response: Good info, but I think the NDP also has to say what they intend to replace the HST with … where will they make up the revenues. h.o)

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