The Liberal government has mounted an education process so the taxpayers of B.C .can better understand the HST. The government will spend $700,000 on a HST guide to be sent to all households explaining the pros and cons of the tax.
They will also launch a "talking taxes campaign" headed up by none-other than Kevin Falcon, a strong supporter of the HST. The cost of this is to be divulged later.
The government continues to ignore the fact that 750,000 people signed a petition to get rid of this tax, forcing the issue to a referendum. The referendum is now binding on the government, but the real question is, do we need a referendum?
Here is the problem. Kevin Falcon, Barry Penner, Blair Lekstrom, etc. are all talking down to the citizens of B.C., telling us in effect that we do not have the intelligence to understand the ramifications of the HST, and therefore it is necessary for them to "educate us."
B.C. citizens are fully aware that this is nothing more than a $1.9 billion tax transfer from business and corporations to consumers. To suggest that 750,000 people don't know what they are doing is an insult.
Christy Clark has very little time to clean up this mess made by Campbell, Hansen, and others. Rather than forcing the people of B.C. to have a referendum on an issue that for all intents and purposes has been settled, they should spend their time and resources by immediately rescinding the tax, and reinstating the tax system in place last July.
They can then continue to collect the PST from business and corporations as they have for the past many years, and they can make an arrangement with the federal government for returning the money collected so far, for the implementation of this tax. This is not rocket science. This money can be recouped through some much needed fiscal responsibility.
To try and force this tax down the throats of B.C. taxpayers, and then go into an election and expect the people of B.C. to vote for the Liberals is beyond comprehension.
We dont need a referendum that the government is surely going to lose. We need the government to kill this tax right now.
They were 100 per cent wrong on this issue, and it's time they admitted it, and did the right thing.
Eric Allen
Prince George
