It is time someone besides me believes that the Feds are as guilty for this HST as the provincial government...

......Boone again! Same old same old.

I hate to see a change in gov't just for the sake of change. The cost to the tax payer after a change in gov't is huge.

Every time we go back to an NDP gov't they do a great job taking care of everyone that needs a handout...at the expense of the business sector that keeps the province running.

The liberals were doing a good job creating business and keeping the cash flowing in our province but, as we all agree on, Campbell was sitting a little too high on his horse. Sooner or later he had to get knocked off.

..and of course Boone is riding the HST train. Don't wait for anything original or any great new ideas to come from Booone. It's not gonna happen!

Harper and Campbell were hand-in-glove on this one. We need the federal and provincial legislation repealed to eliminate the HST and bury it forever.

Opine says...

"Every time we go back to an NDP gov't they do a great job taking care of everyone that needs a handout...at the expense of the business sector that keeps the province running"

On the other hand the same can be said in a different way...

Every time we go back to a non NDP gov't they do a great job taking care of all the corporations that need a handout...at the expense of the taxpayer who keeps the province running.

Opine, apparently afraid of losing his place on the gravy train.

Is she stepping down from the school board to run her campaign?

Looking forward to Lois introducing me to good ol' Taliban Jack. Our saviour. He is coming out west here isn't he?

Dragonmaster...I don't totally disagree with you. For me, it comes down to the chicken and the egg.

Money for social programs have to come from somewhere. Industry creates jobs and jobs create taxes and taxes make social programs available.

Campbell got what he deserved but at the end of the day the current gov't has done a good job of putting BC back on the map.

I wish I was on a gravy train. I work for a living....but I prefer my taxes to go to infrasture spending instead of programs that benefit a small portion of the public but put a big drain on provincial coffers.

lets vote in a government of no parties, all independents!
they pick somone to lead and we have proper regional representation...
not the dictatorship style we seem to have now...
I am not saying if Boone is a good prick or a bad pick, but she is one aof one who have actually said, the feds area as much to blame for the hst as anyone...
for that, I applaud her.

I dunno if the NDP is out there for the working stiff. Fast ferries cost us more than the jobs they produced, the only time I ended up on the picket line, the good 'ol NDP wouldn't give us a lousy 2% increase. Sorry Lois, yer a good person, I just can't vote for yuh.

If anybody wants to 'stick-it' to either Lois Boone or Jack Layton on the issues, they will be at the UNBC Student Thirsty Moose Pub tonight (Monday, Nov. 8) from 7pm to 9pm. Admission is free.

Good point Slim, They are suppose to be for the working stiffs, but they really are good at mismanaging situations.

Wasn't it just a month ago, Carole was holding meetings to find out what to do. Hmmm, kind of scary if your the leader and that oblivious.

I am afraid, if Carole gets yanked, Moe might throw his hat in the ring. He might pull it off.

Bang on He spoke...My guess is Sihota has an agenda.
He isn't suddenly stepping out in front for his health,and he has been hiding in the shadows for longer than most people realize.
More going on here than meets the eye!

Always nice to see someone who hopes to represent us in government screw up their facts. There is no HST on home heating fuel. Look at your Terasen Gas Bill. They credit you back for the provincial portion of the HST. This is an excerpt from the government bulletin with the link. So I guess my question is - is she trying to mislead us - stupid - or incompetent.

Residential Energy Credit and Rebate Program

Effective July 1, 2010, a provincially administered credit is provided for energy, including electricity, natural gas, heating fuel, heat, steam, kerosene, propane, firewood and pellets purchased for residential use. The credit is equal to the provincial component of the HST paid or payable on residential energy, excluding service and administration charges.

For most residential consumers, the credit is provided directly by energy suppliers on their utility bills, similar to the current PST exemption. Residential consumers who purchase energy for both residential and non–residential use (e.g. split use) that is not separately metered, or energy that is not delivered by the supplier to the residence, will not receive the credit on their utility bills but may apply to the provincial government for the credit.

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/business/Consumer_taxes/harmonized_sales_tax/hst.html#8

ski50. There are more facts screwed up than we think.

In 1996 the Federal Government negotiated further agreements with the Provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. In these cases, the three Provinces agreed to bring their Provincial sales taxes into line with the GST to form the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). This arrangement also permitted administration and collection of the new combined value-added sales tax by the Federal Government, which would forward to each respective Province its portion of HST revenues.

IN EXCHANGE FOR HARMONIZING THEIR PROVINCIAL SALES TAXES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGREED TO THE PROVINCES A ONE-TIME PAYMENT OF APPROXIMATELY $1 BILLION.

For those who have forgotten the Government of the day in 1996 was John Chretian, and his Liberals.

The Conservative payment of $4.3 Billion to Ontario and $1.6 Billion to BC in 2010 to help implement the HST is a continuation of the process that was implemented by the Liberals in 1996.

So Lois Boone and her co-horts, and all you other people who insist that this HST Transfer was the brain child of Stephen Harper can take a hike. If you must blame someone, then I suggest you turn your guns on the Liberals.

In any event its a terrible tax on consumers which has great benefits for Business and Corporations, and the sooner we get rid of it, the better.

Just because John did a lousy thing 10 years ago doesn't minimize Bob's responsibility now.

There's a great article on thetyee.ca about just what a fraud Gordon Campbell's record is. I'd post the link but they seem to not work on opinion250. Gist of it is the big press controls what we think, but not what is real.

From the article

"Five surpluses, five shortfalls for premier who 'outlawed' deficits

Gordon Campbell and his BC Liberals won election to government in 2001 with a pledge to "outlaw" budgetary deficits. Indeed, one of the first statutes passed by the new government was the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act, although its ban on provincial deficits did not kick in until 2004.

And so the Campbell Liberals -- after "inheriting" a GAAP surplus in excess of $1.2 billion from the defeated New Democrats -- promptly racked-up shortfalls of $1 billion (in 2001/02), $2.6 billion (2002/03) and $1.2 billion (2003/04), before recording a succession of sizeable surpluses.

Over the four fiscal years between 2004/05 to 2007/08, the Campbell government had surpluses of $2.7 billion, $3.7 billion, $4.3 billion and $3.2 billion. A fifth, but much-smaller residue of $57 million appeared in 2008/09, but then the deficits reappeared.

Last year, 2009/10, saw a shortfall of $1.8 billion, and the current fiscal year is expected to end with another $1.8 billion (or $1.4 billion, according to the first quarterly report) deficit.

Gordon Campbell's record of surpluses and deficits? Five of the former, and five of the latter."

Finally

"What, exactly, is B.C.'s record as a recipient of equalization payments from Ottawa, the hallmark of "have-not" status?

In the 1980s, Social Credit governments led by Bill Bennett and Bill Vander Zalm received three special equalization payments from Ottawa. Bennett got the first such payment, for $139 million, in 1983/84, and a second for $35 million in 1984/85. Vander Zalm obtained $360,000 in 1986/87.

The NDP garnered a single equalization transfer, of $125 million, in 1999/2000.

Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals, in contrast, received five such payments: $158 million in 2001/02; $543 million in 2002/03; $979 million in 2004/05; $590 million in 2005/06; and $459 million in 2006/07. (So huge were these transfers, that B.C. actually had to re-pay an overpayment of $330 million in 2003/04.)

The New Democrats got a total of $125 million in equalization; Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals, a total of $2.4 billion. Which one did Good say made B.C. a "have-not" province?

In the end, there's one easy way to review Gordon Campbell's fiscal record. In 2001, when he became premier, Campbell "inherited" a $1.2 billion surplus from the defeated New Democrats. In 2011, when he bequeaths his office to his successor, he'll leave a shortfall of exactly the same size: $1.2 billion."

So enough with the love-in of how good the liberals were for BC. The facts say we were sold out.

Corporate profits were 2.4 times higher than in the rest of Canada during the liberal years. So where's the promised investment from those lower taxes?

There is a special way to post a link on 250.. Read it.