Liberal claim: The B.C. Liberals claim that the HST will “lead to lower retail prices for consumers.”

The facts: The only evidence the B.C. Liberals use to prove this claim is one report on the Maritimes’ experience. However, when they brought in the HST those provinces reduced the overall sales tax.

Furthermore, as the CD Howe Institute reported, even though the overall tax rate decreased in the Maritimes, the impact of the HST was “mildly regressive”, as the cost of vital commodities like housing and clothing went up.