Editor: British Columbians are facing what I predict will be the most important referendum in our history. The people will decide what happens to the HST. They will decide whether to say 鈥測es鈥� to a PST plus GST at 12 per cent or say 鈥渘o鈥� and keep the HST at 10 per cent.
I am very concerned, as are many of my 91原创 constituents, that some people will vote based on misinformation and/or anger at the way the tax was introduced.
We know we did a terrible job bringing in the HST. When people signed the petition it was because they wanted us to listen to them. Our new premier, Christy Clark, made sure we did.
More than 275,000 people took part in our tele-town halls. They spoke directly to the Finance Minister and other cabinet ministers and told us what they wanted us to do. We listened, and we鈥檝e done what they鈥檝e asked.
We are dropping the HST rate to 10 per cent and we are giving cheques to families and seniors to cover their added HST in the meantime. We鈥檙e also raising corporate tax rates to make sure everyone pays their fair share.
As expected, those changes don鈥檛 satisfy everyone. Bill Vander Zalm (the same man who brought in the Property Transfer Tax when he was premier) is still selling his anti-HST message with false and misleading information. He claims that by ending the HST, the average family will save money. That鈥檚 just not true.
Now that we鈥檝e changed it, the average family will save about $120 a year with HST compared to the old GST plus PST system. That鈥檚 on top of the $175 families will receive for each child under 18.
Vander Zalm and his Fight HST folks don鈥檛 want you to know about what will happen if we return to the old 12 per cent GST plus PST system. First, it would cost us roughly $3 billion. Government will have to raise that money somewhere or else cut services. Second, low income families and seniors would no longer receive their $230 HST rebate cheques.
Vander Zalm and Fight HST can鈥檛 explain why a 12 per cent GST plus PST is better for British Columbians than a 10 per cent HST. In their 鈥楢pril Truth Report鈥� they actually admit that the PST 鈥渕ay not be the best tax.鈥�
Let鈥檚 be clear, this is not a choice between a 10 per cent HST or nothing. This is a choice between a 10 per cent HST or a 12 per cent PST plus GST. That new HST rate is guaranteed because it has now been set in law by both the provincial and federal governments. Vander Zalm doesn鈥檛 want you to know that.
When the ballots arrive, I hope people will give a lot of thought to the consequences of their vote. I hope they will put aside their anger and make an informed decision.
If you鈥檙e confused by the referendum question, you may want to take it up with Fight HST. The wording was taken from their petition.
Mary Polak, MLA,
91原创
