Dear Sir:
Maybe Robin should start earning his money as an MLA.
Firstly, he states that the B.C. Liberal party misled the B.C. taxpayers in the last provincial election over the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). What? Darrell Dexter and the NDP in Nova Scotia made a campaign promise that if elected government, there would zero tax increases. What happens? The taxpayers elected a NDP provincial government and the NDP raises the HST from 13 per cent to l5 per cent making it the highest HST in all of Canada.
I believe the NDP misled the taxpayers in the election campaign. HST in New Brunswick is 13 per cent, Newfoundland and Labrador at 13 per cent, Ontario at 13 per cent, Nova Scotia at 15 per cent (thanks to the NDP), and B.C. at 12 per cent, which could be lower if the HST ballot passes to keep the HST.
In Quebec, taxpayers pay a purchase price, with 5 per cent GST added to the price for a subtotal, then 8.5 per cent QST (Quebec sales tax) added onto the subtotal for total price. Taxpayers pay tax on tax, that is HST on the GST. The rate of QST will go to 9.5 per cent on Jan 1, 2012. Quebec is currently in negotiations with the federal government to bring in the HST. The federal government will give Quebec $2.2 billion for adopting the HST and is said to be complete for September 2011. This will put HST in Quebec at 14.5 per cent, still less than the NDP government of Nova Scotia. The taxpayers in Quebec just sit back, pay the taxes, and laugh at the taxpayers of B.C. that go out onto the street protesting like a Third World nation.
Bill VanderZalm's petition of 557,383 taxpayer signatures protesting HST, not 700,000 as stated because of disqualified signatures, is peanuts in relation to the 14,800,000 taxpayers that have to pay HST in the other provinces.
With Quebec, add another seven million taxpayers. How come there is no public outcry from the other taxpayers that now pay HST?
Next door in Alberta, the premier is retiring and all candidates running for the top job are talking about bringing in a PST. Albertans have never paid PST in their lives. They want to bring in PST, combine it with the GST to create HST. They say it is required if Alberta wants to remain competitive. Isn't that why HST came to B.C. and Ontario? Alberta, the richest province in Canada making tax changes. Robin, your claim of returning to the PST/GST is only going to take B.C. to the back benches in Canada compared to the other provinces. But what do we expect from the NDP anyway, they made B.C. into a have-not province. Maybe the HST ballot should read, “Do you want your province of B.C. to remain competitive? Yes? No?” If a taxpayer answered no, then they would have to have their head examined.
Robin says that Adrian Dix will be the next premier of B.C. How so? Saskatchewan and Manitoba are having provincial elections later this year. The Saskatchewan party, present government of Saskatchewan, has a 37 point lead in the polls over the NDP opposition. Polling in Manitoba shows that 54 per cent of Manitoba taxpayers will be voting for the Progressive Conservative party to form government and put the present NDP government into the opposition seats. Also Darrell Dexter and the NDP, elected government in 2009 in Nova Scotia, have a poor report card with the taxpayers to date, and are said to be only a one term government like that of Dave Barrett in B.C.
Robin always uses the phrase big business. What Robin forgets, it is big business that give B.C. taxpayers paycheques every two weeks, not the NDP and Jim Sinclair and the BC Federation of Labour. Robin, with all the taxpayers that now pay HST, along with Quebec to come, Alberta to follow, with no public outcry, and no popularity in NDP in other provinces, the B.C. NDP party deserves to remain the official opposition after the next provincial election. B.C. taxpayers have been married to the NDP three times. On their third marriage to the taxpayers, the NDP won 39 seats, compared to 36 for the opposition, a nail biter. So coming into the next election, B.C. taxpayers have to ask themselves. Go back to the nightmares of a NDP government, similar like going back to a former spouse after a divorce or just sit still, relax, and play it safe.
Admit it Robin, all governments are going to collect taxes in some shape, form, or another, but some governments are better than others. Protesting the HST on the phrase “it was the way it was introduced to the taxpayer” is immature thinking to place your voting on. The HST vote is in the hands of the B.C. taxpayers. They make the final decision, and remember that decision lies with the provincial government, whoever the governing party will be. Two key factors mentioned above are “competitive” and “all governments are going to collect taxes in some shape, form, or another.”
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan, B.C