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| Fight HST organizer Gabriel Yiu,left, and local residents show off community support for YES to extinguish the HST in Vancouver-Fraserview riding - after over 100 signs mysteriously stolen overnight earlier in June! |
Tuesday June 21, 2011
Voting on the HST not just on tax policy, but also about defending democracy
By Bill Tieleman
"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."
- James Bovard, author
- James Bovard, author
The Harmonized Sales Tax referendum isn't just about tax policy -- it's about democracy itself.
Voting "Yes" to extinguish the HST sends a powerful message to this and every future B.C. government -- do not mislead voters by bringing in a major policy that you denied you would before an election.
We've seen it before -- from this same BC Liberal government that said it wouldn't privatize BC Rail before the 2001 election and sold it off in 2003.
We saw it in Nova Scotia, where the New Democrat government said before the 2009 election it wouldn't raise taxes -- would even cut some -- but afterwards increased their HST to 15 per cent from 13 per cent.
There are always reasons why many governments insist they just had to break their word -- and usually have a few years to get away with it before the next election.
Not this time.
Historic opportunity
The grassroots rebellion led by Fight HST, which I helped create with former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm, forced this month's binding referendum vote when the 2010 citizens initiative petition obtained more than 557,000 valid voter signatures.
That means that for the first time in Canadian history -- even Commonwealth history -- voters have the chance to democratically overturn a government policy that was imposed against their will.
That in itself is reason enough to vote "Yes" to extinguish the HST -- to punish a government that didn't respect its own citizens -- and teach all parties a lesson about political honesty.
Democracy is earned
Former premier Gordon Campbell could have listened when the petition was successful and cancelled the HST -- but wouldn't.
The BC Liberal government could have paid attention to polls showing over 80 per cent opposition to the HST -- but didn't.
New Premier Christy Clark could have been different -- but instead her government is running a $5 million advertising campaign claiming the HST is good for us -- while Clark actually claims she is "neutral."
And the BC Liberal Party's big business allies, the so-called Smart Tax Alliance, are running an even more expensive HST ad and automated telephone campaign.
They think democracy can be bought. Don't believe it.
Democracy can only be earned. And it isn't for sale.
.
15 comments:
Good article! Thank-you Bill, for all of the hard work you have done on this. I am voting yes.
"New Premier Christy Clark could have been different -- but instead her government is running a $5 million advertising campaign claiming the HST is good for us -- while Clark actually claims she is "neutral."
Not only is she not neutral she has also lied to the people of BC. She said the government was going to give each side equal amounts to fight this campaign then changed the rules. I see nothing neutral about Clark at all. In fact I see a clone of Campbell.
NOTE FROM BILL TIELEMAN - This is an Anonymous comment edited to remove inappropriate allegations:
I am voting YES, to extinguish the HST.
Every day it becomes, more and more obvious, the People of BC, are against the HST. Stick men ads and all, are not changing the minds of the citizens.
There is also anger at Christy, using our tax dollars, to pay for these ridiculous ads. Decide for ourselves, what a farce. Christy and the BC Liberals, are trying to decide for us.
Falcon and his threats to the BC people, is utterly shameful.
The people are not to blame for the hole in the budget. Campbell, Hansen and Harper, are to blame. We are over burden with taxes as it is. The citizens said no to the HST. That totally unfair tax, was FORCED onto us anyway.
So, they can damned well, put the blame where it belongs. The people of BC are fed up with, the BC Liberals, lies, deceit, corruption, dirty tactics and cheating to win. Christy is using every dirty trick in the book, to carry on XXX Campbell's evil cheating legacy, of the HST.
I will be surprised, if the referendum vote isn't cheated.
FYI the city of Kelowna has removed virtually all of the Vote YES signs from the sidewalk boulevards along main arteries.
Ironic that you'd declare the HST referendum an opportunity to teach "all parties" a lesson about honesty. According to some, Bill Tieleman was the master-mind behind the NDP election success of 1996, and that campaign was based upon a fudged budget?
To anonymous 9:25
Lying Gordo's 450 million deficit "TOPS" when it was actually over 2 BILLION during the last election is ok?
What's wrong with people like you? Is it a chemical imbalance or just a mental deficiency?
CGHZD
FYI the city of Kelowna has removed virtually all of the Vote YES signs from the sidewalk boulevards along main arteries.
FYI - they may be allowed to do that if there is a by-law prohibiting political signs on public property. It's not uncommon. Vancouver has a similar by-law, as does Burnaby.
It is not an elimination of democracy, far from it. The bylaws are debated in a public form before being passed. There have been many complaints in the past about signs being left behind.
Many times, these signs are put up just anywhere, and are just left there after an election creating an expense for the city and a mess.
According to some, Bill Tieleman was the master-mind behind the NDP election success of 1996, and that campaign was based upon a fudged budget?
He wasn't the mastermind, but Clark did run on a Fudge-It Budget, and Clark lying about the true cost of the Fast Ferries. Also there was Mike Harcourt who kept going on about not giving favours to friends and insiders of the NDP. That didn't last long.
Wow - anon 12:34....
Nice try.
Anything you can come up with from the archives pales in light of what Gordo and Co have done to ransack our BC
- they have changed legislation to fit their agenda
- damn the environment
- who cares about any of our wetlands
- our rivers
- our farms
- our independent businesses
- or our many once written in stone so called "crown corporations"...
These are just plums for the picking to those who are favoured by this bunch of thugs.
Water rights? Hydro? Rape-of-River projects? Democracy itself? The lying Libs have taken every opportunity to help themselves at our expense.
Enough already.
Say YES - RID OURSELVES OF THE HST.
It's a good start.
Lots of Yes vote signs along the pat Bay highway, down through parts of Saanich and Esquimalt. and on a few cars. The ballots should be arriving real soon, so folks, read it carefully and vote yes.
Mz CHristy has been busy passing out money last couple of days. Over at camoson College to tell us that BC has a ship building industry and by gosh here's half a million to get a program running. Nobody asked her why the same government figured it was great to build three ferries offshore, and then lobby to make sure BC Ferries got a tax exemption for buying off shore. Then the family firs gal teared up when the Children's Advocate laid down the lumber on the ministry that ignored a disabled teen who spend 9 days sitting beside her dead mother. Great actor, lousy politician and of course the go HST adverts are coming in hot and heavy.What a bunch of liars. But one MLA gone as of today for alleged wife battering. Families, sure Christy
Hits of money for the Island Train. suddenly there is money to burn
" The ballots should be arriving real soon, so folks, read it carefully and vote yes"
Yep do what DPL tells you to do. Always.
"[Clark's] government is running a $5 million advertising campaign claiming the HST is good for us" - Funny, it seems to me that the government's HST campaign is mostly targeted at educating the public amidst the vast array of misinformation that anti-HST advocates have been putting out for the past few months. Maybe if people in the media were more responsible, the province wouldn't have to spend millions of our dollars just to clear up some misconceptions. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent to manage those ridiculous recall campaigns - campaigns initiated by 'fight-HST' supporters. I'd rather have my taxpayer dollars to things like education and healthcare, not to propping up these silly partisan tactics.
I'm just wondering if voting YES or NO to HST will get us the same results. The Campbell clone Kevin Fal_CON said if we go with GST/PST, there's no guarantee that previously PST-exempt items will still be exempted (a threat here?). If we go HST, I understand the Liberals will drop it to 10% if they're still around when the time comes? In any case, there's no guarantee they won't raise HST in the future either. I just feel that the Gov and do whatever they want to grab more money to waste, whenever they want. Also Ms. Clark is now bribing teachers by saying that if the HST goes in, then perhaps they would have some room to negotiate...otherwise...forget it.
Bill, what happened to the Stickmen Adds,STA posters & tv adds & The Chamber of Commerce adds?? Did EBC tell them to pull them or did Craig James suggest it so as not to have to rule agains his new #250,000.00 a year employer??
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