If you’ve ever been a kid, you’ve most likely played that game. Well, Christy Clark has us, as adults, playing that game one more time. When you fill out your ballot question please make sure you understand the question. When you check Yes on your ballot box, you will be confirming that you want the government to extinguish the HST, not that you agree with the HST. Seem confusing? I would agree. I question the reasons why the Liberal government would waste so much of taxpayers’ dollars to confuse the general public, and taint a democratic process to have a say in taxation.
I urge you to remember that the HST was introduced with the intention to transfer the tax burden away from big businesses and onto working middle-class families. The promises that Christy Clark makes of receiving nominal cheques (if that ever happens) is gone multiple times over once you pay extra in restaurants, home repairs, airline tickets, haircuts, realtor fees, and on and on and on. In addition, the Liberal government’s revised plan of rolling back two points on the combined tax will cost the province over $1 billon, which most likely will be made up in cuts to hospital surgeries, schools and other vital public services.
The HST is a bad idea and a bad tax. It was brought about after an election that promised not to consider it, and now the Liberal government is promising you that they will roll back the tax after another election. Before you vote, please read the question carefully, talk to your neighbours, your family, and people in your community. Make an informed decision that will bring change for the better for our families, our small businesses, our seniors and our province.
Marji Basso
NDP nominee for the Boundary Similkameen