West Coast Lass

Carole Taylor highlights B.C. Liberal flip-flop on HST | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com

2010-08-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Carole Taylor highlights B.C. Liberal flip-flop on HST Vancouver, Canada Straight.com

Liberal morals flexible

2009-08-26T06:26:00.001-07:00

Liberal morals flexible

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B.C. to pay millions for 2010 'volunteers'

2009-08-10T10:30:00.001-07:00

B.C. to pay millions for 2010 'volunteers'

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HST will end the dreams Premier Campbell once had for B.C.

2009-08-10T06:12:00.001-07:00

HST will end the dreams Premier Campbell once had for B.C.

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Poor planning on new tax

2009-08-05T11:21:00.001-07:00

Poor planning on new tax

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Help your civil servants serve you

2009-08-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

There's no real question that the government is relying upon us to be complacent about the HST. That's why it was not introduced as an election issue. That's why it's being introduced right at the beginning of this term of office -- so we'll have forgotten about come May 2013 (the next scheduled provincial election in BC).

Don't be complacent. The lack of transparency, accountability, and democracy surrounding the recent announcement of the move to a harmonized sales tax as a fait accompli, not to mention the general arrogance necessary for this regime to even consider such a move, cannot be accepted without complaint.

There have been any number of calls for a tax revolt or recall of the recently elected politicians. If you are angry and want to pursue that, good for you. For anyone else who is angry or upset about the issue, but in a more low-key way, or who simply doesn't have the time to engage in that way, options still abound.

Write

Write to your MLA, and copy the Premier and the Finance Minister. Letters are great, but an e-mail counts for a lot too. You can find out who your MLA is and full contact information for all the Members of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia at http://www.leg.bc.ca/Mla/3-1-1.htm .

Petition

There are numerous petitions floating around in protest of the HST. Some call for recalls, some are simple statements of opposition. Some are being distributed in hard copy out in the world, and many have been started online. The one that is getting the most press has been started by the NDP, but you have a number of options if you'd like to add your name to a list of people who object to the disrespectful treatment exhibited by the current government. A few options are listed below:

http://www.bcndp.ca/hstpetition

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/BCANTIHST

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stoptheHST/signatures.html

Online Communities (i.e., Facebook)

A few groups have started up on Facebook in protest to the HST. Joining one gives you a forum to share your thoughts, but it is also another way for your voice to be counted, just like a petition. When the government sees that thousands of people have joined these groups, the groups take on an air of legitimacy.

The largest anti-HST group on Facebook by far (so far) was started by Bill Tieleman of The Tyee. However, there are others. Simply search for BC HST.

Stand up and be counted

If you are unhappy about the idea of the HST, for whatever reason, make sure your elected representatives know. We do, ostensibly, live in a democracy. They are supposed to want to know how you feel so they can better represent and serve you.

That's right -- remember, you'll be contacting a civil servant -- people who wanted to be elected to office so they could serve...civilians? Is that whence comes "civil"? In any case, they are supposed to be serving you and representing you. If adopting the HST doesn't represent your wishes, let them know, and make them convince you that adopting the HST does, in fact, serve you best. If they can't, then to go ahead with it is simply arrogant and condescending.

I seem to keep harping on arrogance with respect to this regime. Hmm... I wonder why.

Hurray for Former Premier Vander Zalm

2009-08-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

The premiers of British Columbia have a long history of odd -- and often scandalous -- behaviour, however some premiers resigned in greater ignominy than others.

I've always quite liked Bill Vander Zalm. Yes, he left politics under a bit of a cloud, but he appears to be riding back into the public eye in the light of a shining sunbeam. Premier Vander Zalm has publically called out the Liberal administration for their deceit, and is encouraging the people of BC to act.

He writes in an open letter;

"My friends are calling for a revolution or recall of the entire government. I tell them British Columbians don't revolt very easily. I'm sick and tired, mad and frustrated at being lied to and paying still more taxes when everyone else is expected to cut back or accept cut-backs by a government out of control."

http://www.cbc.ca/bc/news/bc-090730-vanderzalm-hst-letter.pdf

Three cheers for Bill!

British Columbia does not want the HST

2009-08-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

As a resident and voter in British Columbia, I am less than thrilled about this "surprise" announcement. I was one of the few people in BC who bothered to vote in the last provincial election, and while I do recall weighing in on yet another referendum, it was not on the topic of harmonisation. In fact, I don't recall the topic of sales tax harmonisation coming up at all.

It turns out it did -- the restaurant industry asked the Liberal Party about it point blank at election time, and the Liberals neatly dodged the question: "a harmonized goods and services tax is not something that is contemplated in the B.C. Liberal election platform."

http://www.crfa.ca/news/bytopic/elections/bc/where_the_parties_stand.htm

So, one of two things is true:

1. The government was not considering adopting the HST at election time. If this is true, then they managed an amazing and possibly reckless feat in going through the process of accepting the HST for consideration, weighing the pros and cons, consulting with the relevant stakeholders, doing a cost-benefit analysis, and meticulously crafting the policy change that would best serve this province, all in the span of, what, six weeks from election to announcement? Eight weeks maybe? Amazing. Who knew the wheels of government could turn so quickly. Unless they didn't perform their due diligence.

OR

2. The government was considering adopting the HST at election time, and knowingly evaded/ equivocated/ obfuscated (some would say lied) when the question was asked. If this is true, then why? If it is good tax policy, one would think they would be able to sell the idea of the tax on its merits. Yet they chose not to (in this scenario). Why? Why would they choose to avoid consulting their electorate? Did they know it would be unpopular policy, and hope they could slip it under our noses without our noticing or caring? Do they believe that is how democracy works?

I don't understand why the premier would choose to sell out BC's autonomy in this way. After all, once the taxes are harmonised, how easily will we be able to separate them should the spirit so move us? How much control will our province have over what is and what is not subject to PST, and at what rate?

One of the government's defenses has been that the Ontario government had agreed to adopt the HST, so BC had to do it too.

I don't see how that follows. I had thought that the Government of BC had been able to act independently of the Government of Ontario. Certainly in the past that was true. Apparently now we simply go along with whatever they decide back east.

It must save the BC government a lot of time to simply parrot Ontario's decisions.

Come July 2010, I guess I'll be doing more cross-border shopping. Given that the premier has implemented the HST to be good for business, apparently at the cost of the consumer, than I guess BC businesses will be in less need of my custom. Washington/Alberta, here I come!