Shutting Off Debate on the HST
| Local Politics |
This week the Liberals invoked “closure” to stop debate about the HST in the BC Legislature. So, on May 1st, not July 1st, the people of BC will begin paying HST for many items, despite the fact that 82% of British Columbians have indicated they do not want this tax imposed on them.
How is that democratic?
If the Liberals had run an election on the HST and won, they might have had justification for imposing the HST despite people’s concerns. But, they explicitly stated they would not impose the HST, so people were not given a clear, honest choice in May 2009.
If the Liberals had agreed to our motion to refer the HST tax bill to the Finance Committee, held public hearings, called witnesses, and adjusted the tax according to public input, they might have been justified in imposing an unpopular tax. But the Liberal MLAs all voted against our motion to respect our democracy and take the HST discussion to the public for debate.
Why the rush to implement this tax?
Why are Liberal MLAs so afraid of open, public debate?
Which brings me to the latest comments by Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA, Donna Barnett, who calls my challenge to engage me in public debates in 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Quesnel a “silly attack.”
Since when is it a “silly attack” to ask an MLA to stand in front of her constituents and defend the single biggest tax shift they will experience in their lifetimes in a transparent, public and accountable manner?
MLA Barnett claims I should concentrate on representing my constituents and stop playing politics.
First, I believe it is serving my constituents interests to do my utmost to stop the imposition of the HST and fight against the undemocratic means the Liberal government is using to impose it.
Second, the HST debate is a political debate – one that we should have had in all candidates meetings in the 2009 election if the Liberals had told the truth about their intent to impose this tax. I believe the outcome of the Cariboo-Chilcotin election would have been different if Ms. Barnett would have had to publicly defend the HST then.
Finally, I believe we should have more public debates in our constituencies and we should engage citizens more in their democracy between elections on a whole host of issues. We shouldn’t be afraid to face voters directly between elections.
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