'Fight HST' petition signing expected to heat up
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With HST Legislation now passed into law, 'Fight HST' petition signing expected to heat Up
Earlier last week the BC Liberal Government forced closure (halted debate) on the HST in the Legislature on Thursday, April 29. Liberals used their Government majority to pass the necessary law(s) to bring the HST into full effect on July 1st, 2010. Though the HST will begin to apply to some items May 1, it is on July 1, 2010 the full effect of HST taxes will be felt on almost every item and service consumers purchase.
(Photo of Eric Freeston provided by David Ligertwood)
"The Liberal Government has shoved this hated tax down the public's throats with no public consultation or democratic debate," says Cariboo Chilcotin 'Fight HST' organizer, Eric Freeston. "And now we are expected to just accept it? I don't think that is going to happen."
"Cariboo Chilcotin Liberal MLA Barnett voted along with her Liberal Government by voting 'yes' to the hated HST. She has now broken her promise to set partisan politics aside and represent her constituents."
Independent MLA for Delta South, Vicki Huntington, voted against the HST and so did the 35 NDP members of the Legislature. 46 Liberal MLAs voted in favour of the HST. The final vote was 46 'yea' and 36 'nay.'
"We've gathered over 5,000 names on petitions in the Cariboo Chilcotin in just over three weeks and at least 175,000 Province wide. I've seen no signof it slowing down. I expect now the HST has been passed into law there will be more people, not less, that want to add their names to the 'Fight the HST' petition. "This is an unprecedented event and constituents are sending a very loud message to MLA Donna Barnett and her Liberal Government: 'The people don't want the HST, didn't vote for the HST and you lied,'" adds Freeston.
This is the official Initiative Petition Summary:
The purpose of the initiative draft Bill is to declare that the agreement between the federal government and the British Columbia government to establish a harmonized sales tax (HST) is not in effect. The draft Bill would reinstate the 7% provincial sales tax (PST) with the same exemptions as were in effect as of June 30, 2010 and establish the provincial sales taxas the only sales tax in British Columbia for the purposes of raising provincial revenue. The draft Bill proposes that it be effective retroactively to June 30, 2010. The Bill also proposes that the provincial share of HST revenues received between June 30, 2010 and the date of Royal Assent of the Bill that exceeds what would be collected under the PST rules as of June 30, 2010 would be reimbursed to British Columbians on a per-capita basis.
Registered voters who have not yet signed the petition to repeal the HST cando so at Boitanio Mall in Williams Lake between 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM seven days a week.
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