I am in favor of the HST.
It is a modern, value-added, and simple tax, which has already been adopted in some 140 countries around the world.
As an accountant for many small to medium-sized businesses, I know that the harmonization of the GST and PST into the HST has reduced compliance and paperwork costs for business owners.
There are many other reasons to keep the tax.
Here are a couple links to sites on the internet which I think raise a lot of valid points.
The first is by a UBC law student with an economics degree: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXu3LXNwEg - who discusses the issues, and refutes Bill VanderZalm's arguments, in clear plain English.
The second is from Deloitte, one of the largest accounting firms in the world: www.deloitte.com/view/en_CA/ca/services/tax/future-of-tax/hot-off-the-press/index.htm (there is both a video and a written statement here).
Don't be fooled into thinking that if the HST is repealed you will have more money in your wallet. The government has to get the money from somewhere.
If the HST is repealed the PST will be reinstated, at great cost, starting with the $1.6 billion dollars that we British Columbians would have to pay back to the federal government.
The province would then also have all the additional costs of re-instating the PST department, hiring staff to administer the tax, and auditors to audit, which I understand would cost us millions more every year.
I think that now that we have HST, it should stay, and let the government get on with more important business.
They can reduce the rate of HST in the future, which they have already talked about, and possibly exempt certain products or services that currently have HST on them.
And to clarify, I am tired of misinformed people claiming that there is HST on things when this is not true.
Children's clothing, car and booster seats have remained exempt from the 7% provincial portion of the HST; so have books, vehicle fuel, and home heating fuel i.e. hydro and gas.
And groceries have no HST on them (they didn't have GST on them before either).
For a more complete list of items that have no HST on them, here's one more web site link: www.hstincanada.com/2010/01/hst-exemptions-and-rebates-in-british-columbia/.
Tim Kalsbeek
Prince George
