News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

As the Regional Organizer of the Anti-HST campaign here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding I’m often asked how well we’re doing. As many have already heard, the citizen initiative petition has now made Canadian history by being the first one of it’s kind to fulfill the requirements laid out by Elections B.C. Here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding, we are the first in the province to hit the 40% mark for signatures. This response shows that citizens are angry at both the tax and the way it was introduced – immediately after the Liberal election win in May. As long as people want to sign the petition, we will be out on the streets taking their names. 

Once the initiative is declared successful it will be sent to an all-party committee of the BC Legislature. This committee will have two options: hold a province-wide referendum or turn the petition into a bill to present to the legislature. If the bill is presented in the legislature but voted down by the Liberal-majority government, the Citizen Initiative has two further options: a recall petition or a legal challenge. 

A recall initiative – possible in November 2010 - in any constituency would require 40% of registered voters in a riding to sign a petition. If successful, the MLA for that riding would be recalled and Elections BC would hold a by-election. The second option is a legal challenge of the HST. Any legal challenges to the HST would be accompanied by an application for an injunction to stop the tax until the court can determine its legality. 

During the election Liberal MLA Donna Barnett promised to represent her constituents in Cariboo-Chilcotin. Now her constituents are clearly telling her they don’t want the HST. Is she listening? 

Eric Freeston
Williams Lake, BC

Cariboo-Chilcotin first riding to hit  the 40% mark for Anti-HST signatures

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