Fight HST Protestors Rally At Bell's Office

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Anti-HST protestors wave placards on Hwy 97, in front of MLA Pat Bell's office

 Prince George, B.C. - In one year, less a day, British Columbians should be voting in a referendum on the controversial Harmonized Sales Tax...

 But more than 70 anti-HST protesters rallied along Highway 97, in front of Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell's office, today because they want the referendum held before the end of the year.

 If it's not, local Fight HST organizer Eric Allen, says the group will begin recall efforts, starting with Bell, in the spring. If necessary, the group will move on to Prince George-Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond, followed by Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad.

 Bell was not on the 18-name recall list released by the provincial Fight HST campaign on Monday, instead it was John Rustad selected from the region. But Allen says, logistically, it's easier to work in the larger ridings first, canvassing the larger communities of Prince George, Mackenzie, McBride and Valemount. And, he says, winter weather plays a role in the decision to wait until spring. 

Recall campaigns in the Lower Mainland are set to begin January 1^st. “So if we can get Pat Bell first, we may not have to go any further.” And he adds, “If Vancouver can get three or four, we may not have to go at all because the government is going to have to move on this, they're going to have to do something because it's not going away.”

 Allen encouraged those in attendance to sign up to canvas, saying 500 canvassers would only need to get 30-signatures each to launch a recall initiative.

 Valemount resident, John Grogan, drove from Valemount to speak at today's rally. He congratulated the crowd on uniting to say 'No' to the HST and signing the petition to force a referendum. “But I find it abhorrent that the referendum is a year away, government is getting in the way of the will of the people.” (Grogan shown in photo at right)

 Grogan says, “For Pat Bell and the rest of them to realize that they don't represent Victoria to us, they're supposed to represent us to Victoria.”

 Holding a placard that simply stated “No HST”, Gary Blakely is retired and on a fixed income. He's feeling the impact of the tax, “Every time I go out for lunch or dinner or to golf, I have to pay that extra seven-percent on everything – I find it quite excessive.”

 Sarwan Johal was there to urge the government to get on with the referendum. “Let's hear from the people now about what they want, why wait another year.” Johal says he supports the Liberals and realizes taxes are necessary, but he doesn't like the way the HST was brought in.

“I feel we were deceived on how it was all implemented,” says rally participant Daryl Jarvis. He feels people would have been open to debating the tax, had they been given the opportunity.

 Another protester, Jan Manning, says sees the HST as an enormous transfer of taxes from corporations to individuals, but she's somewhat uncertain about a full-fledged recall campaign. “I don't know, I'd hate to think it could go to recall.” But Manning says that if the government continues to block debate, “And if this is the way it's going to be, if it's going to be all politics than for the people that live in this province, then maybe it is time to do something.”

 So, for now, the plan is to launch a local recall campaign in the first week of April.

 Eric Allen says while weather was one factor in that decision, there was another reason, too.

 “I'm sincere in this, I'm giving Pat Bell, Shirley Bond, and John Rustad a lot of opportunity – six months there – to do something about this tax. They cannot just sit on the fence and do what Gordon Campbell tells them to do when they know that their constituents are against this 100-percent.”

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us