Fight The HST

Fight the HST

Recent press would suggest the HST is a done deal. Let me suggest that is absolutely not the case. The ‘Initiative Petition’ to stop the tax will begin next week. This is the only petition registered with Elections BC to legally challenge the imposition of this new tax. The petition threshold is a mere 10% of registered voters in each riding, and the petition drive will begin April 6th. A successful petition will force the Government to a referendum on the implementation.

I am a riding captain in this effort, and find that all of the volunteers share a common thread. This new tax has been invented for imposition by this Government, and like all current legislation, without any input from or consultation with the public, and in direct opposition to the wishes of the people. This is not the functioning of a real democracy.

A democracy would poll the preferences of the public, and options such as implementation at a discounted total rate, postponement of implementation until the economy recovers from economic downturn, or a flat no change required, could have been offered to the public for input.

None of us believe this is an imperative change at this time, and all of us believe it will take money out of our pockets and reduce the number of transactions we can enter into in the commerce of our lives. We all perceive this to be a not correct posture for recovery from economic downturn.

We appreciate this Government’s desire to add money to the treasury by grabbing the Federal incentive cash. We don’t feel this incentive carrot will disappear anytime soon, and also feel that a revenue neutral lower combined rate would have sold quite well to the public. Alas, no options are offered by this Government, which views itself as a ‘Majority of One’, and tries to impose its will on the people. That would be the opposite of democracy.

Please sign the petition, and volunteer if you can, on the ‘fighthst.com’ website to canvas your local neighbourhood for the benefit of us all. Please note that petition signers and canvas volunteers must be registered to vote by April 6th. Such registration can be effected directly from links on the ‘fighthst.com’ website.

One thing is certain, if we don’t stand up and demand real democracy, we’ll never get it from this Government.