How about a free vote in the house of commons in mid-October, with dismissal for any MLA that does not document their constituents demands and vote accordingly.

That is what Fight HST is about - our MLA's representing our desires to the government, NOT our MLA's representing the governments desires to us!

here here

Amen to that!

Little detail needed here. How would you suggest the MLA figures out what the constituents' demands are? Essentially each one would have to conduct a mini-election. Who monitors? Election BC or some group of local jokals?

I think the binding referendum on a simple majority is quite democratic. Don't know why it is so far off. Maybe they want all to experience it first to see whether the existing actual and perceived effects will change after a year and a bit of implementation.

Did anyone here realize that:

In Ontario, the tax on gasoline jumped from 5% to 13%. The same is true for home heating costs in Ontario, where the cost of natural gas and oil is now subject to the HST.

In B.C., consumers were shielded from the higher energy costs that Ontario faces.

Taxes on movie tickets in B.C. jumped from 5% to 12%.

In Ontario, viewers can catch the next movie for a little less because the HST drops the tax on a ticket from 15% to 13%.

Thank you Billie Z. Without Bill we would have to listen to Gordon's lies about how great it is for the average citizen to pay higher taxes to support big business.

Now just get rid of Gordo and the rest of the Lieberal sheep.

Hard to beleive anything that Campbell says, even the statement that a referendum would be a simple majority and it would be binding, and that if the majority of people voted to recind the tax then he would recind it.

1. Campbell has no control over the Elections Act. As the situation now stands the Act states that **If more than 50% of the total number of registered voters in the province vote in favour of an initiative, and more than 50% of the total number of registered voters in each of at least 2/3 of the electoral districts in the province vote in favour of an initiative, the Chief Electoral Officer must declare the initiative vote to be successful and the government must introduce the Bill at the earliest practicable opportunity.

2. Once the Bill is introduced into the legislature, the requirements of the Recall and Initiative Act have been satisfied, and any subsequent readings amendments, or passage of the Bill will proceed as with any other Bill, with no guarantee of passage.

So in effect if Campbell wants a referenducm with a simple majority he would have to recall the legislature and make some changes to the Elections Act, otherwise the petition to recind the tax must go forward as per the present legislation.

So will he change the legislation?? If not, then he is blowing smoke.

Is this just a stalling tactic, to stop the HST movement from starting some recalls, and to take the heat off the fact that they would not allow a free vote on this issue in the legislature. I expect so.

Are we to beleive that the Government would spend $30 Million dollars on a referendum that required only a simple majority, to get the same results that they already have. 700,000 signatures against the tax, and a number of polls indicating that 67-73% of people in BC oppose this tax. I doubt that they would take this to the ultimate end. I suspect that somehow they will try to weasle out of the situation, and that going to a referendum in Sept 2011 will give them some breathing room.

If we must go to a referendum, then we should do it this year. As soon as possible to get this issue off the table. If we wait till next year the Government will owe consumers Billions of dollars in rebates, plus they will have created huge problems for industry and business who will not know what the hell is happening.

It behooves the Government to deal with this issue NOW. Not a year from now.

I suspect they will do something we haven't even thought of, as usual, something underhanded and deviant.

Bond and Bell how can you show your heads in public. When seen in public turn your backs to them.

Doesn't matter when the referendum is or what spin the Lieberals put on it. I'm betting the citizens of BC won't forget what Gordo has done. Shirley and Pat can duck all they want but I won't forget. I also won't soon forget the Chamber of Commerce trying to short circuit the wishes of 700,000 citizens of BC. Life goes on but don't forget.

I think Palopu is correct. However a simple majority would be great though... the first time in my life I would have a provincial vote that actually counted.

That said the referendum is to remove the tax. The recall process is still need to remove the people that connived to bring us the tax. I hope I get the opportunity to vote on that as well.

Gus:-"Little detail needed here. How would you suggest the MLA figures out what the constituents' demands are?"
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He might start by remembering why he has two ears and only one mouth. Many issues may very well be difficult to determine as regards to the wishes of the majority. So we give the MLA some latitude to use his own judgement. But on this issue it is certainly not been difficult to determine the position of the majority. Every poll taken has shown overwhelming opposition to the HST. Not 50% + 1, nor even the 60% that was the threshold for changing the way we voted, but well up into the 70 and 80% range. If that isn't an indication of what the people want, I don't know what is.

I think what we should be watching for now is Campbell to change the Act governing Referendum and Recall. Like Palopu says, a simple majority, as he's now promising he would accept, has no basis in the law as it now stands. And Mr. Campbell has built up quite a track record of NOT being a man of his word when it comes to promises.

So watch if the next throne speech calls for changes in that Legislation, (presented vaguely, as proposals in throne speeches are apt to be), to enable a simple majority. But then watch him try to also detooth the Recall process at the same time. By making it apply only to an MLA's action of personal malfeasance, not that he or she has failed to represent their constituents.

Why wait a year for the referendum? Campbell needs a year for his Lieberal spin doctors to spend a bunch of taxpayer money telling us how great the HST is.
After all the Liberal lies how can anyone trust what comes out of Campbell's mouth.
It is time for recall and that includes the 3 local Gordon Campbell sheep.

I agree socredible...I think Campbell is up to something.
He knows he is full of it and he knows there is in fact,no basis in law for what he said about it being binding.
That is the little voices in his lying head speaking again.
The biggest mistake we can make to even consider for one second that he may be telling the truth.
We would regret that.
He is not done with us yet.
What really disgusts me is that we are even witnessing this kind of political manipulation in a democracy!
I would expect that in a third world country,but not in Canada.
It is obvious that democracy is a farce, and our government/s are indeed,completely out of control!
What even worse,is that the voters of this province are putting up with it?
What the hell is wrong with us?
If ever there was a time for general stike,it is now!

I am angry over the HST. I am angry that it applies to more consumer items than the PST applied to. I am angry that it is a shift of taxes from corporations to individuals. I am angry that the corporations that will benefit the most from is are the corporations that export our natural resources abroad rather than the resources that produce the goods that individuals buy. I am most angry that we were lied to by this present group of politicians, AGAIN. I want to see the HST eliminated. Most of all I want our political process to be reformed to make politicians responsible to carry out their promises. If/when a politicians, or any other elected official, does the opposite of a promise, I want to see their elected position cancelled.

Typo - I am angry that the corporations that export our natural resources abroad receive that most benefit, rather than the corporations that produce the goods that individual B C residents buy.

Andy

We DID put up with it but we are FIGHTING BACK now. We have left our elected officials unchecked for far too long. Why? Because Canadians in general are very trusting. That is not a fault and we should not be ashamed of it. Now that we know that corruption has infiltrated government we NEED to fix it. It is not just a provincial matter but it's a start. Corporations and the elitist who own them are in control of most governments in most countries. It is going to be a huge fight to straighten this up. British Columbians have started the fight. It is not Campbell we need to be afraid of, he is just the puppet bought and paid for. What bothers me the most is that we pay his over inflated wage, retirement and expense account to help his puppet masters. That is what we should be ashamed of! The best thing for ALL CANADIANS is to vote in and independent that the elitists are not worried about and have not pumped money into their party. Stay away from the top three parties because all three work for the same puppet masters. Think about the opposition for a minute...do you ever wonder why they do not act like an opposition? The elitists have spoken and the corrupt traitors (our government) are towing the line. We think that when we vote we are deciding but really it would not matter which party we vote in. The elitists have made sure of this. The top three political party's leaders have all met with the Bilderberg group and that in itself proves what I believe. Harper, Campbell, Cretchen and all the way back to Trudaeu have been puppets for the elitists. We have been played in full. The elitists started the "sheeple" term and they are correct when they refer to us as that. Our hard earned money is leaving this country every day along with the rights to our resources. We are all debt poor and owned by the banks who in turn are owned by the elitists who in turn are part of the Bilderberg group.

I have spent hours and hours researching this group and in my honest opinion their grand scheme is coming true and they are winning without any obstruction from anyone. We really need to stand up and soon.

This is a ploy by Campbell to make us complacent and ASSUME that since they will abide by the referendum results we don't need as many of us to get out and vote.

So do not take anything for granted. VOTE NO all of you.

Well said IMO.
The question is,will we have the determination to take a stand?
In this particular situation,if we back down at this stage,we lose big, and Campbell just pushed back with the decison to stall until Nov.2011.
We have the means at our disposal to really make a difference and perhaps set a precident for the future.
Campbell is betting he can outlast us.
We need to insist that this goes to the house now,not in 2011.
There is no reason for it not be voted on now,other than it isn't what campbell wants to do.
We need to make him do what the people want him to do!
By any means possible.

Everyone seems to be on the same page here but the question remains: how do we get the 70% of British Columbians to march on the Legislature in Victoria? If we do a little march on Pat Bells office, he simply goes fishing that day - - same with Shirley. If we ALL show up in Victoria with one voice, that will force action but we need someone to organize this sort of thing. There must be a way or we are doomed to the same 'being ruled' situation by whatever party we elect. (Except for BC Refederation)

Interesting points made.

The first thing we have to do is deal with the local issue. So as many people as possible need to attend the RALLY as Pat Bells office on Saturday Sept. 25th at 10am.

This may not seem like much, however a journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step. We need people from Vanderhoof, Ft Fraser, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, MacKenzie, McBride, Valemount, and every other place to come to this rally. They should make up signs indicating what towns they are from, so that the politicians recognize that this is more than a Pr George Rally.

After the RALLY, we can then determine (if possible) what Campbell and his co-horts have up their sleeve. Whatever it is, you can rest assured that it will not be good for Joe Taxpayer.

We are going to inundated with bafflegab, bombasity, hyperbole, and standard run of the mill BS. The intent of all this, of course is to convince us that this is a good tax, and that we should accept it for the good of business,corporations, jobs, and BC.

Of course nothing that they say is true, however if they continue to say it over a long period of time, some people will in fact be turned.

So what is the situation at this point.

1. The Rally

2. Working with the BC anti-HST committee,determine where, when, and who, should be re-called.

3. Write letters to our MLA's demanding that the referendum be held this year. Preferably in November 2010. There is no reason to wait for a year to get the outcome of this referendum. We need it now, so that this issue can be put to bed.

4. If we continue to be ignored by the Government and our elected MLA's then we have to go to re-call with a vengence. The Liberals are trying to get control of this agenda, and our job is to ensure that they dont. They may be able to control the referendum, however at this point in time they have no control over re-call.

5. We need to have people holding RALLYS in every riding in BC. Big or Small, it is absolutely necessary to keep this issue front and centre.

6. If all else fails, then sometime next year we need to go to Victoria and protest this tax on the lawn of the Legislature. I suggest that every riding hire 2 huge busses, and head to Victoria to arrive on a particular day. If we filled the busses, we would have approx 6800 people. We could of course get more people to come from the mainland and the island.

7. Last but not least, if we havent budged this bloody Governmet by 2013 then we kick their butts so far out of office that they will not return. We can do this by voting for a third party, or for independents. Once the vote is seriously split three ways, no one knows who the hell will form the Government.

All of the above is possible, however it calls for people to stay focused on the issue, which is to recind this tax. Dont listen to any other BS line. Recind the tax has to be the one and only issue.

We were not responsible for bringing in this tax, however the Government would like to lay a guilt trip on us if we throw it out. Dont listen to the propaganda. Keep your focus.

This issue can be won, so try not to be swayed by defeatist (planted) liberal propaganda. Remember that those people who benefit from this tax at your expense will do what ever they can to keep the tax, because its money in their pockets.

Problem is, its our money in their pockets.

Have a nice day.