Breaking news - Fight HST citizens Initiative petition final count is 705,643 voter signatures!
And a group of business organizations closely connected to the BC Liberal Party have filed an application in BC Supreme Court seeking a judicial review of the Fight HST citizens Initiative petition, the Globe and Mail is reporting.
The intent of the judicial review would be to throw the draft HST Extinguishment Act legislation attached to the petition out.
That Act would eliminate the HST and return the Provincial Sales Tax as it exists today, saving BC consumers $1.9 billion a year in new HST taxes on hundreds of goods and services that will jump by 7% on July 1.
The law firm handling the business group application is Heenan Blaikie - the firm that also employs former BC Liberal Attorney General Geoff Plant - who has recently written a Vancouver Sun opinion article arguing that the petition should be thrown out.
The business organizations include the Council of Forest Industries, whose member companies are major financial contributors to the BC Liberal Party, the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Mining Association of B.C., the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association - another major BC Liberal Party donor - and the Western Convenience Stores Association.
Meanwhile - here is the news release from Fight HST outlining the final numbers of its citizens Initiative campaign:
* * * * *
FIGHT HST
Jun 29, 2010 Press Release
Fight HST Petition breaks 700,000 signatures in final week
44% of total voters in last election sign up to repeal the HST
Port Coquitlam – Fight HST Lead Organizer, Chris Delaney, reported today that the Initiative to repeal the Harmonized Sales Tax broke the 700,000 signature mark this past weekend.
He says that represents a total of 44% of all voters in the last election who have signed the petition.
“We are extremely happy as we prepare to deliver the petitions to Elections BC this Wednesday. The Initiative was an extraordinary success. We have an enormous number of signatures, and are even able to deliver it a week early,” said Delaney.
“Congratulations go to all of our regional organizers, captains and canvassers who worked so hard, and of course to British Columbians, who signed up in droves to send a loud and clear message to their government: Repeal the HST now!”
Delaney says there has never seen anything like the citizen Initiative petition to repeal the HST in BC or Canadian history.
"Full credit goes to former BC premier Bill Vander Zalm, who introduced the Referendum, Recall and Initiative Acts while he was in office,” Delaney explained.
Delaney says British Columbians owe a debt of gratitude to the former premier for having the courage and vision to provide them with a set of truly democratic tools to hold governments accountable between elections.
He says back in 1992, Vander Zalm’s BC Referendum legislation forced the federal government to conduct a nationwide referendum in an attempt to ratify the Charlottetown Accord constitutional amendment.
“Prime Minister Mulroney decided the only way to stop BC from vetoing his Accord was to counteract the ability of British Columbians to vote directly on the proposed amendment by holding a national referendum,” said Delaney.
“The Charlottetown Accord was defeated, due largely to Bill’s unique and progressive Referendum legislation, which allowed the people to stop what many believed would result in an unbalanced and unworkable federation.”
“Now, he has done it again with the Initiative Act by completing the first successful petition. The only thing left to be tested successfully is Recall. And we’ll get that chance in November.”
Delaney says the BC Government reaction to the petition has been so incompetent and dictatorial, that British Columbians have essentially abandoned the Liberals as a political force.
“The people are getting ready for Recalls to begin in the fall. It is clear to everyone that the Liberals are prepared to commit political suicide rather than listen to them, so people are going to oblige them.”
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20 comments:
and I am sure that Zalm's Petition group will fully disclose expenses and sources of revenue??
The Globe and Mail's Patrick Brethour gets an exclusive with BC Premier Gordon Campbell.
Brethour: Former attorney general Geoff Plant has talked about a possible legal challenge to the anti-HST petition, that it might not be properly formulated. Is that a route you’re willing to contemplate or should this remain a political question?
Campbell: The government won’t be contemplating that route. Obviously, the law is there for everyone. But the government will not contemplate that; we will allow the petition process to follow its course.
Typical Gordon (No Contest) Campbell: The truth, but not the whole truth.
I wonder how Brethour feels now that he knows he was used and abused by Campbell?
Former BC Liberal Attorney General Geoff Plant (and Campbell's ex-roommate in Victoria) has organized a surrogate business group to do the BC Liberal's dirty work.
Is there a list of the businesses involved? Just curious in case anyone wants to make an individual decision to boycott those businesses.
The group of business organizations is being represented by the ever competent Peter Gall, QC.
You can read Gall's submission here [Scribd.com]
Here's a link to the B.C. Chamber of Commerce member directory:
http://www.bcchamber.org/directory/corporate.html
Pretty well every company in BC including Crown corps such as Hydro and Ferries.
Kinda hard to boycott most businesses in the province.
But not impossible. :)
Kinda hard to boycott most businesses in the province.
But not impossible. :)
Well you can start by not going to the grocery store and not buying those cola drinks. The sugar is getting to be too much obviously.
and want to go to the Island?
Row your own boat across the water.
One never knows what the courts in this 'province' will decide...however, this lawsuit would appear to be too little AND too late.
The petitions will shortly be in the hands of elections BC and it is highly unlikely any court would attempt to derail the initiative process at this late date...
This issue is now one for the people of BC and the courts will be loathe to interfere.
"Kinda hard to boycott most businesses in the province."
No need to, just pick one or two of the larger companies. See how long they like taking one for the team.
"No need to, just pick one or two of the larger companies. See how long they like taking one for the team."
Well we can start where the previous poster gets most of his
stuff.
Value Village.
"The petitions will shortly be in the hands of elections BC and it is highly unlikely any court would attempt to derail the initiative process at this late date..."
Wouldn't wait for that to happen.
It won't.
The legislation VanderZalm and Delaney are presenting maybe reviewed by the court, but not the petition drive and signature collection, that still goes.
Most likely the end result will be the BC Liberal government going for a referendum to be called, which was the premise of this thing when it first started.
Do the math. 705,643 isn't even close to a majority. Where is this 85% against HST???? Most moaners have no sense of reality. Even if HST is extinguished, future governments will simply raise the PST tax rate. All governments need more money which means taxing the people.
Funny how you moaners complain about businesses profiting. Your precious pensions including CPP and OAS rely on public companies. At the end, you're screwing yourself. Well done.
If I vote, it'll be for the sex party. Sounds like most of you will be too.
"Funny how you moaners complain about businesses profiting. Your precious pensions including CPP and OAS rely on public companies. At the end, you're screwing yourself. Well done."
Not to mention jobs. There isn't one business out there that does not rely on another one to supply maerials and services.
The moaners and complainers also forget the petition paper for signtures was made by a business, printed by a business, the computer they are using was made by a business, etc. etc.
Old left wing mantra. Hate business and profit, but get a job in those businesses where profits are made.
I doubt Campbell will be happy until a class war starts. What little I have done is looked up what few Chamber Of Commerce members I deal with and I will notify them that they've lost my business because of the stance of the BC COC. I suggest everyone that feels as strongly as I do about this do the same.
It is the combination, of the budget with the HST. The two of them together, is beyond the citizens ability to pay. A very poorly planned budget, and. an equally poorly planned HST, will put people out of their homes. The budget: 6% hike in home heat. Hydro graduates to 33%. Our "new" carbon tax, 4.45 and another hit July 1st. Phone and cable, has the HST applied, and so does, everything from a can of paint to a nail file. What great day in the morning, has anyone heard, Campbell and Hansen, tie the HST and the budget together? Where the budget doesn't nail you, the HST does. Campbell, Hansen and the BC Liberals, are the most underhanded, sneaky, deceitful government, in the history of Canada. Mr. Hansen and Mr. Campbell, tell the entire story, of how, the BC citizens are being shafted. That is, if the honesty isn't too much for you.
The right wing supporters are spending time on this blog so they must be worried.Grocers are complaining that they don't know what to tax, cafe's the same. I really wonder if Gordo thought this thing through before rushing out to get some money from Ottawa? His little blurb in the Times Colonist Wednesday morning shows us he is getting very concerned.
I see the old BC Boy is back again - banned at Tyee one more time I guess.
You'd think you would have the actual balls to post your 'made up' name here at Bill's.
Read the Tyee. Good for Bill Tieleman articles and those written by Will McMartin. Some of the rest of the Tyee is okay, much of the rest is entertainment. 90% bullshit. The comments from posters in that thing are 98% bulshit. But its entertaining.
Don't know who this BC Boy is and don't fuckin' care. We got enough problems with Gordon Campbell and our wimped out leader Carole James to start worrying about someone who contributes to a third level online paper that others don't like.
Let's just see where this petition goes now and then go from there.
Hopefully VanderZalm will end his publicity crap and let the NDP do what it is supposed to do, and that is be the real opposition.
I think it's now safe to say that Geoff Plant will not be the next leader of the BC Liberal party.
"I think it's now safe to say that Geoff Plant will not be the next leader of the BC Liberal party."
Geoff Plant couldn't lead a group of people to canvass a neighbourhood block that is flat and perfectly rectangular.
The Law Society of BC study committee has looked at the subject and think Geoff Plant will win easily. Well done mate.
"The Law Society of BC study committee has looked at the subject and think Geoff Plant will win easily. Well done mate."
Amazing talent. Someone knows how he BC Law Society knows what the outcome of a BC Liberal Leadership will be. Wonder what the BC Law Society will predict for the NDP Leadership? Moe Sihota wins?
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