BC Referendum on HST

[eyeball]

What's the point of a referendum or vote on a specific way or style of taxing?

It's the specific way in which the conniving sneaky bastards introduced it that is the biggest issue I have with it. The point of voting for me and many others I suspect, is to express our disapproval of that as much as anything.

You can get rid of the HST - and it will cleverly be replaced with a H O S L X - tax....I just made it up but it should fly long enough to generate a billion for federal coffers.

Perhaps, but after this fiasco I doubt they'll be able to fly much past us without us being able to see it long enough beforehand to say something about it.

[dre]

Nonsense. You are simply making crap up to justify your position.

Not at all. Im not even sure what my position is yet, Im just pointing out the facts.

Framing the debate as 12% vs 10% is dishonest unless the referendum automatically triggers that 2% change. After the referendum we will either have 6+6% PST/GST or a 12% HST. Any promises beyond that by the government may materialize or they may not.

[TimG]

Framing the debate as 12% vs 10% is dishonest unless the referendum automatically triggers that 2% change.

Legally the referendum is non-binding and the government is free to ignore the result. You obviously trust the government to honour the result of the referendum so it makes no sense then claim they will not reduce the HST as they have also promised.

[fellowtraveller]

No cost is too high, no tax is too onerous for the privilege of living in The Best Place On Earth.

[msj]

Im just pointing out that all any voter in the referendum can be sure of is 12% pst+gst, and 12% hst.

We can't be entirely sure but there was this announcement.

[msj]

Not at all. Im not even sure what my position is yet, Im just pointing out the facts.

Framing the debate as 12% vs 10% is dishonest unless the referendum automatically triggers that 2% change. After the referendum we will either have 6+6% PST/GST or a 12% HST. Any promises beyond that by the government may materialize or they may not.

"6+6% PST/GST?"

I mean really?

How long has this been going on for and you don't know that it's 7% PST and 5% GST?

Please tell me you're in a different province so you're not voting on this.

[dre]

Legally the referendum is non-binding and the government is free to ignore the result. You obviously trust the government to honour the result of the referendum so it makes no sense then claim they will not reduce the HST as they have also promised.

Im not saying they will or they wont. Im saying that what youre voting on isnt 12% vs 10% its 12% vs 12% and a politicians "pledge" to reduce the tax over three years.

[dre]

"6+6% PST/GST?"

I mean really?

How long has this been going on for and you don't know that it's 7% PST and 5% GST?

Please tell me you're in a different province so you're not voting on this.

Relax its a typo... and my point still stands. And yes Im a BC resident.

[dre]

We can't be entirely sure but there was this announcement.

Thats pretty good. Sounds like they are at least somewhat legally bound to reduce the rate if we vote for the HST.

[CitizenX]

Breaking News on Christy Clark’s HST Action Plan

July 30, 2011 by theleftcoast.ca

A confidential source who is very well connected inside the BC Liberal Party has informed me that if the “YES to Extinguish the HST” vote is anything over 50%, rather than repealing the HST as Gordon Campbell had previously promised, Christy Clark will call a fall election with the HST as the key issue.

She will put her government on the line an effort to ask all British Columbians how they feel about the HST. It looks like the HST battle costs are going to continue to spiral upwards. Stay-tuned for a busy fall election season.