REALITY CHECK: B.C. Liberals Continue To Break Rank On HST As Public Opposition Skyrockets

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Colin Hansen and Gordon Campbell are facing even more dissent from their own colleagues for the ill-conceived HST. Meanwhile, public opinion polls demonstrate overwhelming opposition to the tax grab and election betrayal.

  • 2009 B.C. Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Kensington Syrus Lee told radio listeners on Tuesday that he opposes the HST saying, “If it's revenue neutral, why would the government do it?” (Fairchild, Aug. 11, 2009)
  • B.C. Liberal Vancouver-Fraserview constituency association president David Choi said on a public radio forum this weekend that the government had “no mandate to implement the HST without public consultation.” (Fairchild, Aug. 15, 2009)
  • Fairchild radio released a listeners' poll this weekend  that clearly shows the Chinese community in B.C. is overwhelmingly against the HST. Ninety-nine per cent of over 3,000 voters oppose the HST, saying they feel it's a tax grab without consultation, is not revenue neutral, and is a broken election promise by Gordon Campbell.

B.C. Liberals from the past and present have already broken rank from Gordon Campbell and Colin Hansen, questioning their HST betrayal and ongoing lies about the timing of the decision and its impact on consumers:

  • Former B.C. Liberal deputy premier Christy Clark says she doesn’t “think it’s possible” that the minister and the premier only considered implementing the HST after the election, saying “it was quite clear that British Columbia was going to be faced with this decision in March when Ontario adopted it, and they never thought to mention it to the voting public. I mean, it’s just sneaky all around.” (CBC radio, Aug. 14, 2009)
  • Colin Hansen suggested last week that he knew about Ontario’s plans before the election, saying he “did not know that Ontario was going to go to an HST system until they announced it on March 26th” adding “I’m assuming that officials in the ministry have those conversations with federal officials” before the election. (CKNW, Aug. 13, 2009)
  • Former B.C. Liberal MLA John Nuraney said there were ongoing talks about HST while he was a member of the B.C. Liberal caucus, and also said the new tax will be a “significant” blow to his restaurant business. (straight.com, Aug. 13, 2009)
  • Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett has suggested consumers will see prices rise, saying “That is a concern… I have some concerns.” (Williams LakeTribune, Aug. 13, 2009)
  • Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger has admitted that many businesses will be hurt by the HST, saying the “HST is going to be good for all concerned, but there are exceptions.” (Times Colonist, Aug. 9, 2009)

Gordon Campbell needs to listen to the Chinese community and British Columbians across the province and stop the HST.

Carole James and the New Democrats have launched a petition to stop the HST, which is at www.StopTheHST.ca

Under the Liberal government, B.C. has had the worst rate of full-time job losses, the second-worst performing economy, and the highest level of child poverty in the country.