VICTORIA—New Democrat Leader Carole James has vowed her caucus will fight the B.C. Liberal Harmonized Sales Tax legislation, introduced this afternoon in the legislature.
“Today’s HST legislation is the ultimate betrayal of the public trust,” said James. “The B.C. Liberals promised voters and businesses they wouldn’t introduce the HST. But that’s exactly what they did. They broke their promise to the people of this province.
North Coast MLA Gary Coons vowed to drag down the province’s new HST legislation with every procedural ploy in the book, after the Liberal government formally introduced a bill yesterday making way for the unpopular HST.
“British Columbians deserve to get the facts and debate they were denied when this government abruptly ‘flip-flopped” and deceived us when they said they were not introducing the regressive HST and then abruptly announced the 12 per cent harmonized sales tax is a highlight of their economic platform moments after winning last year’s provincial election,” said Coons. “We will use every strategy available to us — including repeatedly amending the bill and using the full speaking time allotted to MLAs to stall passage of the bill.”
The bill (Bill 9-“The Consumption Tax Rebate and Transition Act ”) runs some 80 pages and more than 200 sections. At the second stage of debate, the entire bill is debatable by each and every member of the Opposition, as are supplementary delaying motions.
At the committee stage, each section can be scrutinized at length and subjected to a recorded vote.
The Opposition set the tone early yesterday by forcing a standing vote, called division, during the bill’s introduction, which required all MLAs to stand and have their names read into the record. The government won, 47 to 34.
“Every opportunity that is available to delay and scrutinize the HST we will take advantage of,” said Coons. “If the minister
wanted his HST legislation done early he should have introduced it in the first day the legislature came back. British Columbians deserve a full analysis and explanation of why the HST is forced upon them.”
Despite months of Liberal MLAs extolling the virtues of the tax that will benefit only big business as many as 77 per cent of people polled by Angus Reid earlier this month said they oppose the HST.
This spring, Carole James and the New Democrats have taken their anti-HST campaign on the road, meeting with concerned British Columbians and putting pressure on B.C. Liberal MLAs to vote against the legislation.
“It will take seven B.C. Liberal MLAs to defeat this Bill. Seven MLAs to stand with their constituents and vote against this regressive tax. We’re calling on the B.C. Liberals to honour their campaign promise, stand with New Democrats and say ‘No’ to the HST,” said James.