The B.C. Liberal government unveiled a $5-million information campaign on the harmonized sales tax Thursday -- a TV, print, radio and on-line campaign that will feature a "stickman" beset by arguments from the yes and no sides.
The stickman is called on to decide for himself by going to the government's website, www.hstinbc.ca. One of the ads can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/23611476.
The price of the provincial government campaign will be added to another $1.7 million already being spent on getting information out on the HST in advance of a referendum vote next month.
Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell said the government has tried to provide as balanced a view as they can on the HST via the website, adding that one of the biggest criticisms has been the lack of communication.
Bell, the jobs and tourism minister, noted that ad campaign price tag works out to about $1 per person for the province's 4.5 million people. "I think this decision is worth that much. People need to make sure they're well informed," said Bell.
However, Prince George anti-HST campaigner Eric Allen doesn't believe the campaign is not aimed at convincing people to support the HST.
Allen said he's baffled by the $5-million price tag of the ad campaign, but not surprised.
"They are going to have a battle on their hands," promised Allen, who was an organizer in the successful petition that resulted in the B.C. Liberal government deciding to move to the referendum vote.
Allen noted that new Premier Christy Clark's narrow win in a by-election Wednesday in Point Grey should deliver a message to the Liberals on the HST.
While the B.C. Liberal government has been arguing that the HST is good for the economy, will improve the competitiveness of businesses, and will create jobs, Allen said the simple fact is it is a $1.9 billion tax shift from business to consumers. He argued while business and government wins, the taxpayer loses.
In launching the stickman campaign, the finance ministry said research shows there's a great deal of misunderstanding about the HST.
For example, people think that basic groceries have gone up under the HST, but it's not true, said the province. The government's HST website includes access to the recent third-party panel report on the impact of the tax change.
Northern B.C. NDP MLA Doug Donaldson said he doesn't believe taxpayers will respond well to the Liberals using $5 million to change their minds on the HST. "Maybe the stickman represents the bones of taxpayers picked clean by the HST," said Donaldson, MLA for the Stikine riding west of Prince George.
The referendum has been moved up to June 24 from September, but the public has until July 22 to have their mail-in ballots to Elections B.C.
The new tax, which combines the seven per cent provincial sales and five per cent GST, came into effect last July.
The government-commissioned panel reported recently that returning to the old system would put $350 back into the pockets of families. But moving back to the old tax system would also likely mean refunding the federal government's $1.6-billion in transition funding, and in the first year alone, put a $531-million tax hole in the provincial budget.
The B.C. Liberal government's earlier-announced $1.7-million information campaign includes $500,000 to be spilt between the no and yes sides, which will be administered by independent decision maker Stephen Owen, a former provincial ombudsman and federal MP from Vancouver.
The framework and dates for a series of harmonized sales tax public forums to be hosted by colleges and universities, including at UNBC May 26, has been set.
The forums fall under the B.C. Liberal government's $500,000 public dialogue fund, in which the no and yes sides will have an opportunity to present their views.
According to the provincial government's HST public information site, representatives from two groups successful in their request for public funding will be presenters at the forum.
The groups, selected by government-appointed arbiter Stephen Owen, a former provincial ombudsman, are the Fight HST Society led by former-premier Bill Vander Zalm, and the Smart Tax Alliance, a business coalition. The two groups have been awarded the right to apply for up to $250,000 each under another $500,000 fund.
Initially, it appeared that the universities and colleges would have free reign to design their own public forums.
This latest decision was made by Owen, said Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell, the provincial jobs, tourism and innovation minister.
"It was not a change by government -- that decision was made by Stephen Owen," said Bell. "We're not going to interfere with his decision."
The forums are part of a slate of activities initiated by the Christy Clark-led government before a vote on the HST scheduled for next month.
