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  • HST DOCUMENTS: THE TRUTH SHATTERS B.C. LIBERAL CLAIMS
    2 Sep, 2010

    Sept. 2, 2010

     

    HST DOCUMENTS: THE TRUTH SHATTERS B.C. LIBERAL CLAIMS

     

    Government documents released Wednesday show the truth behind many B.C. Liberal false claims regarding the HST:

     

    The HST wasn’t on their radar before the election

     

    The claim:

     

    "The harmonized sales tax was not on our radar. We said it was not part of our election platform and it wasn't."

    - Finance Minister Colin Hansen (Times Colonist), July 28, 2009

     

    "The fact of the matter is it wasn’t on our radar. We didn’t engage in any discussions. I wasn’t thinking about it until after the election.”

    - Premier Gordon Campbell (The World Today, CKNW), Aug. 7, 2009

     

    The reality:

     

    A briefing note to the finance minister dated March 12, 2009, two months before the election, shows that he was briefed by staff on the impacts of an HST in B.C.

     

    Premier Gordon Campbell had also been given a January 2009 briefing note on the HST before he went to the Council of the Federation (of Canadian premiers) meeting.

     

     

    The HST was the best thing for the B.C. economy

     

    The claim:

     

    “[The HST] is the single biggest thing we can do to improve B.C.’s economy.”

    - Premier Gordon Campbell (News Release), July 23, 2009

     

    “…The HST is the single biggest thing that's actually going to stimulate the economy and create jobs in this province.”

    - Finance Minister Colin Hansen (Hansard), May 30, 2010

     

  • MLAs tackle HST petition Sept. 8
    26 Aug, 2010

    Prince George Free Press August 26, 2010

    MLAs tackle HST petition Sept. 8

    VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberal government should accept the people's verdict quickly and make a deal with Ottawa to get out of the harmonized sales tax.

    That's the message from an NDP member of the committee that has until December to decide what to with B.C.'s first successful citizen initiative.

    Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming says the low-profile committee should not get into discussion about what to do about the costs of bringing back the provincial sales tax, such as the $1.6 billion federal transition fund that is already being spent.

    "This was something that was cooked up in the political backrooms," Fleming said in an interview. "There is a legislative fix on offer thanks to the people of British Columbia, but there are going to be some things that have to be solved politically between his government and Ottawa in terms of the $1.6 billion and other things."

    Asked if that means Ottawa should forgive the transition fund, Fleming said federal politicians in B.C. are also feeling the heat.

    "The federal MPs, Conservatives, face the same electorate," Fleming said. "They clearly don't want to own the responsibility for introducing the HST. In fact I would suggest that, seeing how the people of B.C. have reacted, they probably want to be seen as helpful in getting this government out of a jam that they've forced upon British Columbians."

  • NDP LEADER CALLS ON PREMIER TO EXPEDITE NEXT STEPS IN HST INITIATIVE PROCESS
    22 Aug, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    Aug. 21, 2010

     

    NDP LEADER CALLS ON PREMIER TO EXPEDITE NEXT STEPS IN HST INITIATIVE PROCESS

    Legislature is set to receive initiative bill on Monday; now it's the B.C. Liberals' turn to act, says James

     

    VICTORIA -- New Democrat leader Carole James called on Premier Gordon Campbell to give a clear directive to his MLAs to undertake next steps in the HST initiative and stop delaying an important democratic process.

     

    James' call comes after acting Chief Electoral Officer Craig James confirmed that the HST petition and the attached bill will be forwarded to the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives on Monday, Aug. 23 for further action.

     

    "Judge Bauman's ruling on Friday cleared the way for the B.C. Liberals to take next steps. And Elections B.C. has confirmed the bill will be forwarded to the legislature on Monday," said James. "My team is ready to get down to work immediately. Now it's the Premier's turn to provide a clear directive to his MLAs on the committee to act as soon as the bill is delivered on Monday."

     

  • CHONG AND COELL’S REFUSAL TO STAND UP OVER HST IS A SLAP IN FACE TO CONSTITUENTS
    16 Aug, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    Aug. 16, 2010

     

    CHONG AND COELL’S REFUSAL TO STAND UP OVER HST IS A SLAP IN FACE TO CONSTITUENTS

     

    VICTORIA – MLAs Ida Chong and Murray Coell’s refusal to urge the premier to recall the legislature and allow a free vote on the HST bill is a slap in the face to the Oak Bay and North Saanich residents they were elected to represent, New Democrats say.

     

    “The successful citizen-led initiative to stop the HST has been stalled by B.C. Liberal friends attempting to bog the issue down in the courts,” said New Democrat MLA Maurine Karagianis. “As someone who sits around the cabinet table, Murray Coell could stand up for the 13,488 constituents who signed the petition and made the initiative a success.

     

    “Instead he is hiding behind the B.C. Liberal power brokers who are trying to thwart the democratic will.”

     

    Last week, Elections B.C. found that the initiative petition had obtained more than the number of signatures required to succeed. However, the chief electoral officer has refused to forward the petition to the legislature, citing a court case brought forward by a group of organizations which have donated over $381,500 to the B.C. Liberal party since 2001.

     

    “Despite the fact that she is a cabinet minister and sits on the provincial treasury board, Ida Chong has been silent on the HST since the B.C. Liberals broke their election promise and announced the $1.9 billion tax shift,” said New Democrat MLA Rob Fleming. “And even though 8,997 of Ida Chong’s Oak Bay-Gordon Head constituents signed the initiative petition, she is still refusing to stand up for the people she was elected to represent.

     

    “Ida Chong should call on the premier to bring back the legislature, table the HST bill, and allow his MLAs a free vote so they can finally represent their constituents.”

     

  • FACTS DON’T SUPPORT LIBERALS’ B.C. PLACE SPIN
    5 Aug, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    Aug. 5, 2010

    FACTS DON’T SUPPORT LIBERALS’ B.C. PLACE SPIN

    The B.C. Liberals’ claim that the B.C. Place roof is “on budget” is hardly credible, when you take a hard look at the facts. The B.C. Liberals told British Columbians one thing about the cost of the B.C. Place roof throughout the election campaign, only to turn around and jack up the budget by 58 per cent:  

    -       Before last year’s election, the B.C. Liberal government pledged that the B.C. Place project would cost $365 million. The Treasury Board approved that $365 million budget figure based on a financing plan that the B.C. Liberal government claimed was solid.

    -       On October 23, 2009, the B.C. Liberal government admitted the bill had ballooned to $458 million.

    -       On October 29, 2009, under questioning in the legislature, the B.C. Liberal government was forced to admit that the full bill for the B.C. Place roof project would be $563 million, including the retractable roof, the revitalization and the refurbishment and the maintenance costs.

    -       Later that day, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts admitted that the $563 million cost didn’t include the price for upgrading Empire Stadium so it could be used while B.C. Place is being renovated, which the government later admitted would amount to $14 million.

    -       The total cost for the B.C. Place roof project now sits at $577 million, a 58 per cent increase in just one year.

  • HOW MUCH DID SCRAPPED HST PROPAGANDA COST THE PUBLIC?
    28 Jul, 2010

    July 28, 2010

     

    HOW MUCH DID SCRAPPED HST PROPAGANDA COST THE PUBLIC?

     

    Today the B.C. Liberals announced that after spending an untold amount on a pro-HST flyer that was to be mailed to every household, they’re scrapping that plan and instead extending their pro-HST radio ad campaign.  All of which raises a number of questions:

     

    -       How much public money did the B.C. Liberal government waste on designing the pro-HST pamphlets before backing down on their plans?

     

    -       Did the B.C. Liberal government print the pamphlets and, if so, how much money did that cost?

     

  • HST CAUSES B.C. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE TO PLUMMET
    27 Jul, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    July 27, 2010

     

    HST CAUSES B.C. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE TO PLUMMET

     

    VICTORIA – New reports out today show that since the HST was implemented on July 1, British Columbians have become increasingly concerned about making ends meet, the New Democrats say.

     

    Consumer confidence is at an all-time low in British Columbia, according to the Conference Board of Canada. B.C. saw the biggest drop in consumer confidence in the country, losing 12.5 points.

     

  • B.C. LIBERALS ANNOUNCED HST DOUBLECROSS ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
    23 Jul, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    July 23, 2010

     

    B.C. LIBERALS ANNOUNCED HST DOUBLECROSS ONE YEAR AGO TODAY

     

    VICTORIA – One year ago today, the B.C. Liberal government doublecrossed British Columbians and announced the HST, which shifts $1.9 billion in taxes from big business onto consumers, say the New Democrats.

     

    “Over the years, the B.C. Liberals have betrayed the people of British Columbia on a lot of things: the sale of B.C. Rail after they promised not to, a massive expansion of gaming while slashing support for gambling addiction, and a budget deficit nearly four times what they promised, just to name a few. But the HST doublecross takes the cake,” said Bruce Ralston, New Democrat finance critic.

     

  • B.C. LIBERALS USING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY TO MISLEAD PUBLIC ON HST - Previous Mintz study shows HST will lead to job losses, not gain
    21 Jul, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    July 21, 2010

     

    B.C. LIBERALS USING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY TO MISLEAD PUBLIC ON HST

    Previous Mintz study shows HST will lead to job losses, not gains

     

    VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberal government continues to mislead the public on the HST, only now they are using untold millions of taxpayers’ dollars to do it, say New Democrats.

     

    “The claims the B.C. Liberals are making in their radio advertising campaign that the HST will create jobs are not supported by the very economist the B.C. Liberals hired to attempt to validate their policy decision,” said Bruce Ralston, New Democrat finance critic, referring to University of Calgary professor Jack Mintz.

     

  • B.C. LIBERALS’ TAXPAYER-FUNDED HST AD CAMPAIGN ADDS INSULT TO INJURY, SAYS NDP
    6 Jul, 2010

    For Immediate Release

    July 6, 2010

     

    B.C. LIBERALS’ TAXPAYER-FUNDED HST AD CAMPAIGN ADDS INSULT TO INJURY, SAYS NDP

     

    VICTORIA – Still outraged by the B.C. Liberals’ HST deception, British Columbians are now facing a publicly funded government propaganda campaign.

     

    “Residents and small business owners in every corner of the province have clearly said no to the HST,” said Ralston. “No amount of glossy pamphlets or advertisements will change that position.

     

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