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HST Referendum Decision Expensive Stall Tactic-VanderZalm

By 250 News

Monday, September 13, 2010 04:51 PM

Prince George, B.C.- The HST petition will be going to a non binding referendum.
The Select Committee  voted 6-4 ( following party lines) in favour of  holding a province wide  referendum  on September of  2011. The other option would have been to send a draft bill to the legislature that would repeal the HST .
What needs to be decided now is if it will be a be a mail in ballot (cost about $13 million) or a full polling booth style vote that would cost about $30 million.
The decision is not sitting well with the Fight HST campaign which has been demanding either a binding referendum of 50 plus of the ballots cast.
Former Premier Bill VanderZalm says the decision is “The most expensive stall  tactic  in the province’s history.” He says the non binding referendum requires more than 50% of all registered voters to vote down the HST by more than 50% of all votes cast, it is a system that is designed to fail.
He says unless the decision is changed to make it a binding referendum with a simple majority of votes cast, his team will move forward with its recall plans.

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Comments

Just recall these arrogant elitists already.
This whole party is going down. The sooner the better.
If the issue is as galvanizing as the fight the HST crowd seems to think, then it really shouldn't matter which option is chosen. Either the issue is serious enough to make people get out and vote, or it isn't.

If the turnout is strong and the no vote is even stronger, binding or not, it's going to be tough for the Libs to ignore the results. If the turnout is poor, then to me that suggests that the issue may not be as big as what people claim.
Recall!!!
NMG, your comment seriously lacks an understanding of what is going on here.
1.The people have already stated, by the petition, which got more votes than the Liberals in the last election, that the HST should go. The petition was a vote.
2.The referendum (Sept 2011) can be approved by the voters. But the referendum, if approved, must still go to the legislature for voting.The Liberals will kill that vote.So we are spending millions of dollars, as approved by the Liberals, on the standing committee, for what point??
3. Recall is coming before the referendum.
vote.

Enough !!!
Going down look there won't be anything anyone can do until the next Provincial election. Which is in three years I believe so suck it up butter cup. Makes me wonder how many N.D.P'sers and folks the voted for Liberal are against this H.S.T. I do say that yes I will be voting Green next time.
Don't count the citizen of this province out and I don't have to suck anything up—I have a right to recall government representatives under certain circumstances and I and a lot of other angry citizens will be exercising that right.
So, now Gordo says this is a non binding referendum,... which is contrary to the laws---ok ok all you liberal supporters explain this !!
As most figured he would,Campbell will drag this out as long as possible.
Now he says they will accept the outcome of the referendum and act accordingly.
Lies.
He is trying to get the heat off and acting like he is an honest man.
We know better.
The committee itself was a setup plain and simple, and the outcome was predictable.
It is becoming more obvious everyday that there is something they don't want people to see and they are buying time.
The lid is going to blow right off of this mess and it is not going to be pretty.
Go get'em Bill!
Enough is enough!
People only need to think about this issue for a few moments and they will see why Campbell and the Liberals are full of it.

Two Weeks ago the Liberals were whining that they couldnt get out of the HST if they wanted to, because they had already taken the $1.6 Billion from the Feds and had either spent it or allocated it.

Now they are saying that they will go to a referendum a year from this month, and if the people vote to kill the HST, then they will kill it.

Seems to me they (as usual) are talking out of both sides of their mouths. If you can do it a year from now, then you can do it now.

What about all the BS that this was an agreement with the Federal Government and that they would have trouble getting out of it before the 5 years were up. BS, BS, BS.

This is a stalling tactic to get people to get used to paying the tax, and then if the referendum is not a success, they can go on their merry way, giving breaks to industry at the cost of consumers.

Time to wake up and smell the roses people. The Government and business is getting the elevator, and you are getting the shaft.

Campbell can say whatever he wants for two reasons.

1. He plans to leave rather than face a Leadership Reveiw next year.

2. Anything he says can be ignored by the New Leader, because they will claim they are a new Government with a new agenda.

BS usually baffles brains, however in this instance I think the reverse is true. Brains will win out over the Liberal BS.

It seems at this moment that re-call is the only viable option.

Typical lieberal story. Best to get on with recall and get rid of this gov't. 12% approval rating for Campbell will look good come a month from now.
Let the recall begin.
Should I keep all of my receipts or is Gordo gonna keep my dough? Can we do the carbon tax next? I would like that.
This is about courage. The MLA's involved in bringing us this tax lack the courage to do what is right and repeal this tax as they should with their own votes in the legislature acting in the interests of their constituents.

Going to the actual referendum gives the MLA's an out of sorts from being accountable for their position on the issue. A lack of courage that will cost this province over a Billion dollars in illegal taxes collected over the next year in addition to the $30million for the referendum. They should all hang their heads in shame.