So on one hand, he's saying that HST will save people money: "The Premier says the in the long term, people will know they are ahead"

Then he goes to say that government revenues will be helped by HST: "He says the HST was the right decision to make given the financial hits the province has taken through reduced revenue from oil and natural gas as well as corporate and personal tax revenues"

Isn't it one or the other. How can there be savings for us, but more money for the government?

The price of liquor was supposed to go down three percent as a result of the elimination of the PST. But the government is keeping the extra profit, and prices will not decrease. But Campbell expects private industry to reduce prices. Prices did not go down in the Atlantic provinces-ask anyone who lives there. Even the CD Howe Institute makes it clear-HST raises business profits, but does not lower prices. And the CD Howe report is deeply in favour of the HST

Finally, I am getting a little fed up with Campbell's comments about not making popular decisions-if this was true he would have brought this issue before the voters before the election, not after. No one believes that the HST was not on the radar before the election. Hanson said that once Ontario signed on, BC would have to. Ontario signed on in February, but the Liberals say they never considered the HST until after the election in May. Go through the statements both the premier and the finance minister have made from February on-they knew they had a massive deficit coming, and they knew the HST was on the way. If they didn't, they are too incompetent to lead. If they did, and lied about it, they are too immoral to lead. Enough is enough.

Last week, the financer minister promised to tell people what the HST would cost taxpayers during the budget-however, the charts and graphs he promised never materialized. Guess he doesn't want us to know how much this is really going to hit taxpayers.

I have no problems paying my fair share of taxes, but as a taxpayer and voter I am entitled to have a say about them My issue with the HST is not that its just another tax hike, but that I had to be lied to in order to get it passed. This is not democracy in any way, shape, or form. That's the issue here.

Great post Flash. Interesting point about the LC prices as an example of businesses not passing on the savings. Even the government isn't doing it!

Also, having lived in the Maritimes for a bit, I agree that things aren't cheaper there, HST or not. In a region where incomes are some of the lowest in Canada, many consumer items are some of the highest in Canada, for non-remote places.

You getting what you deserve
You voted them in
And those who didn’t vote are also getting what you deserve
Next time do some research and don’t believe the propaganda that the liberals put out.

What the heck does that guy smoke anyway?

Wow, was that you Doneright, peering over the cardboard walls and watching me vote?

How do you know who anyone voted for?

"Premier Says...Premier Says...."

Here's another headline for you...
"PREMIER BLOWS ALOT OF SMOKE!"

"Next time do some research and don’t believe the propaganda that the liberals put out."

Whose propoganda would you suggest we listen to, oh enlightened one?

This province has the lowest minimum wage and the highest child poverty in Canada - maybe Gordon Campbell can take the profit from "HST" and give to those that needed the most - not the fat cat companies and his cronies.
And yes, he lied about the HST but he will never admit to it - he is too arrogant!

Its pretty obvious that Campbell is putting out a line of BS. Does he really expect us to beleive it????

This tax will save money for business, and it will make money for the Government. It will cost the average taxpayer between $1500 to 2500 dollars per year.

There will be no lower prices. This Government is finished. Much like Mulroney and his boys when they brought in the GST. Same type of tax, same lies, and hopefully the same result. Liberal kicked the hell out of Government.

In order to stop this HST we need to support Vanderzalms proposal to get 10 percent of the voters in every riding in BC and force this to a referendum. Once it goes to referendum then it will be voted down, and it will become history.

People should not lose site of the real issue here, and that is to kill this tax increase before it takes effect.

Dont listen to those who say

((All is lost the tax is coming**

Or ((The omelet is made and cant be unscrambled))

Or ((This is a done deal, and we cant do anything about it))

That is all defeatist thinking, and if you listen to it, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

***DOWN WITH THE HST*** *** ***DOWN WITH THE CAMPBELL GOVERNMENT***

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/love+hate+good+public+policy/1949856/story.html

Gordon Campbell, you criminal, I would never call you a liar, but I don't believe one word that spews out from your mouth...time to retire before you get on the short end of a long bottle again!

That's hilarious, posting an article from the Vancouver Sun that supports Campbell. For your next trick, can you provide something from Fox News that supports the Republicans?

Companies will pass on savings to consumers? What companies? Be specific. Manufacturing companies? What in BC do we manufacture? Be specific. We cut down trees. That is all we do. The rest are service industries. Savings in Wallymart? I doubt it. 96% imported crap there. Autos are made in Ontario. Clothing is made in Qweebec. That is when clothing is shipped in by the pound from Pakistan or Bangladesh. I doubt very much that I will save any money on purchases of any kind. If it is a private company, the logic will be that the owner is finally reaping a reward for all his hard work over all the years he has been in business and being overtaxed and over regulated. If it is a public company, the old adage comes into play. That is to say a return on investment to the shareholders. At the consumers expense. Reason me out of this line of thinking. I dare ya.

All I have to say is since when does the government want to save us money regardless of who's running the show?

Just trying to provide another opinion, jeesh. Sorry if I don't jump on the anti-Lib bandwagon at the hint of things maybe not being as wonderful as we'd like to think. Who cares whether or not they were planning on it during the election or not. Ooh, a political party that holds back info during an election, how utterly outrageous.

All I'm saying is there is a reason economists and business leaders think HST is a good thing, and why it's been adopted in other provinces and European countries. I am far from being an expert on all the ins and outs of it, but at least I'm trying to educate myself on it. Which is more than can be said for people who hear "tax" and think it's going to be the end of everything we know.

Sorry for jumping on you, swingline. I appreciate your link, as it was an interesting read, even if it was mostly stuff I already knew. I was just trying to comment about how the Sun is very pro-Campbell, and decided to do it in a sarcastic way. It was more a jab at the Sun than you, by my apologies nevertheless.

I agree with Palopu, if we get behind Vander Zalm's petition we can stop this thing. A politician's job in any democracy is to yield to pressure. Ours is to apply it.

Well Mr PG I remember your posts prior to election.
They were all pro lib and anti NDP
So you get whwt you get now
I hope he sells off the whole province.

Campbell appears to be a dictator..he has a majority government, so no one to go against him , or at least not enough of them and I truly feel he is not going to budge on this....we are going to get the HST, like it or not...and I don't...maybe he will get drunk and drive again.....

I will think for myself. I will evaluate the HST from a Business point of view (because I am a business owner.

And I will evaluate HST from a consumer & a taxpayer point of view. Because, all that I end up with in business is spent to make ends meet anyway.

My take so far is that government is going to get more money from more people. Buying a home for example, is going to cost more. (Is it a coincidence that a home is the single largest investment or expense most people make in their lifetimes?) Guess who will get stiffed on this one?

Shame on them. We can at least figure this one out.

Don't trust any of them. They are only interested in saving their sorry butts and protecting their jobs.

They will milk us every which way they can.

"Well Mr PG I remember your posts prior to election.
They were all pro lib and anti NDP "

Yeah, so what's your point exactly? You still didn't answer my question... who should I have voted for? What would they have done differently?

If Campbell gets drinking again he will probably make more sense.
Vote for the Refederation Party of BC. We are a group of people who don't really need a leader because we will give the power back to the people. At the same time, take back some power (legally) from Ottawa.

Ah, yes, the Refederation Party of BC. Read their stuff once. Problem is, they don't understand the difference between "economic" democracy and "political" democracy. They indicated that very clearly by saying they wouldn't do anything unless it met the approval of the big Banks.

They're kind of like the Quebec separatists, I think. You know, "separation is necessary, but not necessarily separation ~ we'll still use the Canadian dollar and take our orders from the Bank of Canada." What's changed, for the average Quebec citizen with a mortgage and a car payment, an ongoing increase in his cost of living, and the uncertainty of continued income adequate to meet the bills?

In other words, we'll call ourselves the Republique de Quebec, but a Quebecois citizen of our new "republique" can still be denied food, clothing, and shelter ~ even though there's plenty of all for everybody already in existence, and behind that the means already extent to make ever more ~ unless he conforms to what "Finance" demands he do.

You can talk all you want about how the Refederation Party would restore and enhance our basic "freedoms". But ask yourselves this, before you trek off in droves to vote for them, (and I know that's wishful thinking on the part of their members and leader), if you give a guy a choice between continued access to sufficient food, clothing, and shelter ~ the three basic necessities that could be choked off to him at any moment by simply denying him access to a 'money'income ~ or , say, a continuation of his right to Freedom of Speech, which one do you think he'll go for? "Political" democracy without "economic" democracy is a hollow sham.

So......does this new HST mean that we'll be paying 12% when we purchase a vehicle privately, instead of the 7% PST we now pay? Or will it be 0%?

fighthst.com!